Most Extensive NCAA Division I Softball Championship
Coverage Ever Begins May 16

ESPNU, ESPN & ESPN2 to Televise Up to 45 Games; ESPN360.com to Simulcast Every ESPN & ESPN2 Telecast; Every World Series Game in High Definition

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will combine to provide the most extensive NCAA Division I Softball Championship coverage ever with up to 45 games, six more than the previous high of 39 scheduled contests last year.  Coverage will begin Friday, May 16 with Regionals action from the Los Angeles site: Purdue vs. Nevada at 5:30 p.m. ET and Cal State Fullerton vs. UCLA at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.  Highlights:

• ESPN360.com -- ESPN’s signature live, sports broadband network – will simulcast every ESPN and ESPN2 telecast.

• A record 45 scheduled games will be offered across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com: 10 Regionals, 18 Super Regionals and 17 College World Series. 
• ESPNU will televise a complete best-of-seven Regionals series with ESPN2 and ESPN360.com offering three additional Regionals series matchups.  Each Regionals winner will advance to the Super Regionals.
• ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will combine to televise every game from six of the eight best-of-three Super Regionals series.  On up to two occasions, ESPN will feature two games in one window and whip-around to the best action from both games for viewers in most of the nation (except in the home market of the competing teams where the game of local interest will be the primary telecast).  It will mark the first time ESPN has offered whip-around coverage during its softball telecasts.  Each Super Regionals winner will advance to the College World Series. 
• ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will combine to televise every Women’s College World Series game.  It will mark ESPN’s 27th consecutive year covering the event and the seventh season the networks will combine to televise every game.

• Every Women’s College World Series game will be offered in high definition on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD.

• The networks will utilize two announce teams on the College World Series, each featuring U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winners as analysts.  Beth Mowins will work with Jessica Mendoza, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and member of the US team playing in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and Eric Collins will call play-by-play with analyst Michele Smith, a two-time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist (2000 and 1996).  Holly Rowe will serve as the field reporter on every telecast.

• Regionals and Super Regionals commentator teams will include Mowins and Cheri Kempf with reporter Melissa Knowles, Collins and Tracey Warren, and Pam Ward and Cindy Bristow.  Super Regionals coverage will also include Justin Kutcher and Leah Amico, Sam Gore and Krista Blunk, and Clay Matvick and Jennifer McFalls each calling a series.

NCAA Softball Regionals Presented on ESPN by Dick’s Sporting Goods

Date    Time               Network             Game     Matchup                                        Commentators

* If necessary; Coin flip will determine home team

~ If no Game 7 from Site 3, ESPN2 will simulcast ESPNU’s Game 5 coverage from Site 1

NCAA Softball Super Regionals Presented on ESPN by Dick’s Sporting Goods

Note: Commentator assignments TBD

Date    Time                         Network                               Game           Matchup                  

* If necessary; Coin flip will determine home team

~ If no Game 3 from Site 1, ESPN will simulcast ESPNU’s Game 2 coverage from Site 2

# If no Game 3 from Site 3,ESPN will simulcast ESPNU’s Game 2 coverage from Site 4

% ESPN will showcase two games within one window and “whip-around” to the best action from those games in most of the nation.  Viewers in the home markets of the competing teams will receive their local game in its entirety with constant updates from the other game. 

NCAA Women’s College World Series Presented on ESPN by Dick’s Sporting Goods

Date    Time         Network                                         Matchup                                  Commentators

* If necessary

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