ESPN's NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship Schedule:
March 22 - April 8

All 63 Games on ESPN Networks; First Time Every Game Available on ESPN360.com;
2008 Commentator Line-Up

Beginning Saturday, March 22, with 16 games in five windows, all 63 games from the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com and ESPN FULL COURT for the sixth consecutive year. During the first-and second- rounds, ESPN and ESPN2 will present 48 games within 13 telecast windows, while ESPN FULL COURT, the out-of-market pay-per-view package, will offer complete game telecasts of all 48 games. The final 15 games from the regional semifinals, regional finals and Women’s Final Four will all have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2. In all, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to present 63 NCAA Tournament games within 28 telecast windows.   There will be more women’s NCAA Championship content featured across other ESPN entities, including SportsCenter, ESPN.com, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio and ESPN Mobile TV’s ScoreCenter and ReSet. 

For the first-time ever, ESPN360.com, ESPN’s sports broadband network, will offer complete coverage of all 63 games, while ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will provide supplemental coverage during the first and second rounds. ESPNU will offer eight of the early-round matchups, all of which are also offered regionally and/or as part of whip-around coverage on ESPN or ESPN2.

Starting with the regional semifinals, ESPN and ESPN2 will offer every game in high definition (HD).  In addition to the Women’s Final Four, all four regional sites and women’s basketball studio specials will be available on either ESPN HD or ESPN2 HD. 

Trey Wingo will return to host all of ESPN’s studio coverage for the NCAA Women’s Tournament alongside analysts Stacey Dales and Kara Lawson.  Doris Burke will join them in studio during the first and second rounds and will then serve as a game analyst from the regional rounds through the National Championship.  On April 6 and 8, Wingo, Dales and Lawson will take their show on the road as they host the network’s two on-site studio programs from the site of the 2008 Women’s Final Four -- St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.  Carolyn Peck will also provide updates from Tampa for ESPNEWS.  Mike Patrick, Burke, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe will serve as the game commentators in Tampa.  A complete roster of ESPN’s talent assignments for the NCAA Women’s Tournament is listed below.

FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS - REGIONALIZATION & HOME MARKET PROTECTION

Whip-around Coverage: For the first two rounds, multiple games (as many as four) will begin within one telecast window on ESPN or ESPN2 (note - games will have staggered tip times so each window will start with one particular game).  During those windows, the networks plan to "whip-around" to the best action from different games for viewers in most of the nation (everywhere but the home markets of the competing teams).  The networks plan frequent switches to and updates from other games as action dictates. 

Regionalization/Home Market Protection: In the home markets of the competing teams, ESPN or ESPN2 will primarily televise the game of local interest.  While constant updates from the other games will be provided, the networks, for the most part, will generally not switch to another game during live action, thereby establishing home market protection.

ESPNU: ESPNU will offer coverage of eight early-round matchups, all of which are offered regionally and/or as part of whip-around coverage on ESPN and ESPN2.  Six first-round games will be featured, while two second-round games will be televised.

ESPN FULL COURT To Feature All Early-Round Action: Viewers who want all early-round games in their entirety can receive them through ESPN FULL COURT, the out-of-market pay-per-view package.  ESPN FULL COURT, available to cable and satellite customers, plans to showcase every first- and second-round game, a supplement to ESPN and ESPN2’s coverage (fans can order ESPN FULL COURT by calling local cable or satellite provider). 

ESPN, ESPN2 & ESPNU NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT SPECIALS

2008 NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TELECAST SCHEDULE 

(schedule subject to change)

~All 63 games available on ESPN360.com

* All first- and-second-round games available in their entirety on ESPN FULL COURT

+ National telecast on ESPNU

FIRST- AND SECOND-ROUND COMMENTATORS

March 22 and 24 games

Site                            Play-by-play                     Analyst                              Reporters        

Baton Rouge, La.          Eric Collins                    Carolyn Peck                        Allen Hopkins

Des Moines, Iowa         Beth Mowins                   Fran Fraschilla                     Ron Johnson

Albuquerque, N.M.        Bob Wischusen               Jimmy Dykes                      Stephanie Ready

Stanford, Calif.              Dave Pasch                     Deb Antonelli                      Heather Cox

March 23 and 25 games

Site                                Play-by-play                   Analyst                              Reporters        

Bridgeport, Conn.             Bob Picozzi                   Mary Murphy                       Rebecca Lobo

College Park, Md.            Pam Ward                     Nancy Lieberman                 Holly Rowe

Norfolk, Va.                     Marc Kestecher              Brenda VanLengen              Todd Harris

West Lafayette, Ind.         Dave O’Brien                  Krista Blunk                         Kim Anthony

REGIONAL COMMENTATOR TEAM

March 29 and 31 games

Site                              Play-by-play                      Analyst                            Reporters       

New Orleans, La.           Eric Collins                      Carolyn Peck                         Beth Mowins

Spokane, Wa.               Dave Pasch                      Deb Antonelli                         Heather Cox

March 30 and April 1 games

Site                             Play-by-play                      Analyst                            Reporters          

Greensboro, N.C.            Mike Patrick                    Doris Burke                          Rebecca Lobo

Oklahoma City, Okla.      Pam Ward                       Nancy Lieberman                  Holly Rowe

WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR COMMENTATOR TEAMFOUR COMMENTATOR TEAM

April 6 and 8 games

Site                             Play-by-play                      Analyst                          Reporters          

Tampa, Fla.                Mike Patrick                       Doris Burke          Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe

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