Beginning Saturday, March 18, with 16 games in six windows, all 63 games from the NCAA Division I Women?s Championship will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN FULL COURT for the fourth consecutive year. During the first-and second- rounds, ESPN and ESPN2 will present 48 games within 12 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 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 27 telecast windows.
In addition, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will provide supplemental coverage during the first and second rounds. ESPNU will offer complete game telecasts of 10 matchups, all of which are also offered regionally and/or as part of whip-around coverage on ESPN or ESPN2.
ESPN and ESPN2 will expand its high definition (HD) coverage to 15 games (up from nine) for the 2006 Tournament. In addition to the Final Four, all four regional sites and women?s basketball studio specials will be available on either ESPN HD or ESPN2 HD. Additionally, ESPN360 will include video highlights from all 63 games; daily reports from Hall of Famer and analyst Ann Meyers throughout the Women?s Final Four (April 2 and April 4); plus a special music video featuring highlights from the Tournament.
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 complete game telecasts of 10 early-round matchups, all of which are offered regionally and/or as part of whip-around coverage on ESPN and ESPN2. Seven first-round games will be featured, while three second-round games will be televised.
ESPN FULL COURT and FULL COURT ONLINE 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). In addition, ESPN FULL COURT ONLINE, a separate online version of the package, will be available via ESPN.com (http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncb/fullcourt/ or log on to ESPN.com and search, “Full Court”).
SITES
Round Dates Sites First and Second Rounds March 18 & 20 Chicago, Ill.; Nashville, Tenn.; Tucson, Ariz.; Denver, Colo. First and Second Rounds March 19 & 21 Norfolk, Va.; Trenton, N.J.; University Park, Pa.; West Lafayette, Ind. San Antonio Regional Semifinals & Final March 25 & 27 (AT&T Center) San Antonio, Texas Albuquerque Regional Semifinals & Final March 25 & 27 (Bob King Court) Albuquerque, N.M. Cleveland Regional Semifinals & Final March 26 & 28 (Quicken Loans Arena) Cleveland Bridgeport Regional Semifinals & Final March 26 & 28 (Bridgeport Arena) Bridgeport, Conn. National Semifinals and Championship April 2 & 4 (TD Banknorth Garden) Boston, Mass.
ESPN, ESPN2 & ESPNU NCAA WOMEN?S TOURNAMENT SPECIALS
Network Date Time (ET) Special ESPN/ESPN HD Tuesday, March 14 7-7:30 p.m. 2006 NCAA Women?s Championship Special ESPN2/ESPN2 HD Saturday, March 25 11-11:30 p.m. 2006 NCAA Women?s Championship Special ESPN2/ESPN2 HD Sunday, March 26 2-2:30 p.m. 2006 NCAA Women?s Championship Special ESPN2/ESPN2 HD Monday, March 27 11:30-midnight 2006 NCAA Women?s Championship Special ESPN2/ESPN2 HD Tuesday, March 28 11:30-midnight 2006 NCAA Women?s Championship Special ESPN / ESPN HD Sunday, April 2 6:30-7 p.m. 2006 NCAA Women?s Final Four Special ESPN / ESPN HD Tuesday, April 4 7:30-8:30 p.m. 2006 NCAA Women?s Championship Special
2006 NCAA WOMEN?S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TELECAST SCHEDULE (subject to change)
Network Date Time (ET) Game ESPN2 Sat., March 18 12 p.m. Two Games: #9 Washington vs. #8 Minnesota (Nashville) #13 Wisconsin-Mil vs. #4 Michigan State (Chicago) Sat., March 18 1 p.m. Two Games: #12 Middle Tennessee St. vs. #5 Utah (Tucson) #15 Pepperdine vs. #2 Oklahoma (Denver) ESPN2 Sat., March 18 2 p.m. Two Games: #12 Tennessee-Chat vs. #5 Kentucky (Chicago) #16 Florida Atlantic vs. #1 LSU (Nashville) ESPN2 Sat., March 18 3 p.m. Two Games: #10 Iowa vs. #7 BYU (Denver) #13 Stephen F. Austin vs. #4 Arizona State (Tucson) ESPNU #13 Stephen F. Austin vs. #4 Arizona State (Tucson) ESPN2 Sat., March 18 8 p.m. Four Games: #11 La. Tech vs. #6 Florida State (Denver) #14 Northern Arizona vs. #3 Baylor (Tucson) #13 Liberty vs. #4 DePaul (Chicago) #16 UC-Riverside vs. #1 UNC (Nashville) ESPNU #16 UC-Riverside vs. #1 UNC (Nashville) ESPN2 Sat., March 18 10 p.m. Four Games: #9 Louisville vs. #8 Vanderbilt (Nashville) #14 SE Missouri St. vs. #3 Stanford (Denver) #12 Tulsa vs. #5 N.C. State (Chicago) #11 New Mexico vs. #6 Florida (Tucson) ESPNU #11 New Mexico vs. #6 Florida (Tucson) ESPN2 Sun., March 19 12 p.m. Four Games: #15 Army vs. #2 Tennessee (Norfolk) #10 California vs. #7 St. John?s (University Park) #13 Missouri State vs. #4 Purdue (West Lafayette) #11 Hartford vs. #6 Temple (Trenton) ESPNU #11 Hartford vs. #6 Temple (Trenton) ESPN Sun., March 19 2 p.m. Four Games: #10 Old Dominion vs. #7 George Wash. (Norfolk) #14 Marist vs. #3 Georgia (Trenton) #15 Sacred Heart vs. #2 Maryland (University Park) #12 Bowling Green vs. #5 UCLA (West Lafayette) ESPNU #12 Bowling Green vs. #5 UCLA (West Lafayette) ESPN2 Sun., March 19 7 p.m. Four Games: #9 Notre Dame vs. #8 Boston College (W. Lafayette) #14 Dartmouth vs. #3 Rutgers (Trenton) #10 Missouri vs. #7 Virginia Tech (University Park) #16 Southern vs. #1 Duke (Norfolk) ESPNU #16 Southern vs. #1 Duke (Norfolk) ESPN2 Sun., March 20 9 p.m. Four Games: #15 Coppin St. vs. #2 Connecticut (University Park) #16 Oakland-Mich. vs. #1 Ohio St. (West Lafayette) #11 TCU vs. #6 Texas A&M (Trenton) #9 South Florida vs. #8 USC (Norfolk) ESPNU #9 South Florida vs. #8 USC (Norfolk) ESPN2 Mon., March 20 7 p.m. Second Round (four games) ESPN2 Mon., March 20 9 p.m. Second Round (four games) ESPN2 Tue., March 21 7 p.m. Second Round (four games) ESPN2 Tue., March 21 9 p.m. Second Round (four games) ESPN Sat., March 25 12 p.m. San Antonio Regional Semifinal #1 ESPN Sat., March 25 2 p.m. San Antonio Regional Semifinal #2 ESPN Sat., March 25 9 p.m. Albuquerque Regional Semifinal #1 ESPN2 Sat., March 25 11:30 p.m. Albuquerque Regional Semifinal #2 ESPN ~ Sun., March 26 12 p.m. Cleveland Regional Semifinal #1 ESPN2 ~Sun., March 26 2:30 p.m. Cleveland Regional Semifinal #2 ESPN2 ~Sun., March 26 7 p.m. Bridgeport Regional Semifinal #1 ESPN2 ~Sun., March 26 9 p.m. Bridgeport Regional Semifinal #2 ESPN ~ Mon., March 27 7 p.m. San Antonio or Albuquerque Regional Final ESPN ~ Mon., March 27 9 p.m. San Antonio or Albuquerque Regional Final ESPN ~ Tue., March 28 7 p.m. Cleveland or Bridgeport Regional Final ESPN ~ Tue., March 28 9 p.m. Cleveland or Bridgeport Regional Final ESPN ~ Sun., April 2 7 p.m. National Semifinal #1 (Boston, Mass..) ESPN ~ Sun., April 2 9 p.m. National Semifinal #2 (Boston, Mass.) ESPN ~ Tue., April 4 8:30 p.m. National Championship (Boston, Mass.)
* All first- and-second-round games available in their entirety on ESPN FULL COURT or ESPN FULL COURT ONLINE. ~ Games offered in high definition on ESPN HD or ESPN2 HD
Note: ESPNU will select second-round games after matchups have been determined.
FIRST- AND SECOND-ROUND COMMENTATORS
March 18 and 20 games Site Play-by-play Analyst Reporters Chicago, Ill. Beth Mowins Van Chancellor Stephanie Ready Nashville, Tenn. Dave O?Brien Ann Meyers Jimmy Dykes Tucson, Ariz. Ron Franklin Fran Fraschilla Alex Flanagan Denver, Colo. Pam Ward Nancy Lieberman Heather Cox March 19 and 21 games Site Play-by-play Analyst Reporters Norfolk, Va. Sean McDonough Doris Burke Holly Rowe Trenton, N.J. Dave Pasch Mary Murphy Rob Stone University Park, Pa. Mark Jones Debbie Antonelli Rebecca Lobo West Lafayette, Ind. Dave Barnett Brenda VanLengen Wendi Nix
