ESPN Expands NCAA D1 Baseball Championship Coverage

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN will cover all sixteen sites of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship this year.  Cover of the games runs from Friday, May 31^st to Monday, June 1^st.  This year’s coverage marks the first time that every first-round game in the tournament will be available to fans on a national platform.  This includes up to seven games from each of the sixteen locations for a total of one hundred twelve matchups over the course of just four days. ESPN offered coverage of six sites in 2012, four in 2011, and two in each of the previous six years.

ESPN will launch a new platform called “Bases Loaded” to help cover the games across the ESPN family of networks over the weekend.  It will be similar to the network’s “Goal Line” and “Buzzer Beater Networks” in that it will provide unlimited live cut-ins and highlights from a number of the tournament’s games.  It will also include live up-to-the-minute commentary from ESPN analysts and experts from each day of the Regionals.  “Bases Loaded” will be available Friday, May 31^st and Saturday, June 1^st from 2pm EST to midnight.  It will be available Sunday, June 2^nd from 2pm to 1am and Monday, June 3^rd from 6pm to 12am.  ESPN3 will carry “Bases Loaded” in its entirety while ESPNU and ESPN2 will simulcast at select times.  This includes between games and during rain delays, time allowing.  And as with most ESPN coverage, fans can catch all of the action online via WatchESPN and through mobile internet on the WatchESPN app.

Along with the expanded Regionals coverage, ESPN will also continue to cover every Super Regional site and all possible seventeen games of the College World Series.  The expanded coverage includes up to twenty-four games from eight sites.

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Six Big Ten Games Scheduled For Prime Time On ESPN Family Of Networks

Courtesy: ESPN

The upcoming college football season is still months away.  But that doesn’t mean things have slowed down from the world of NCAA football.  ESPN has announced that it will run six Big Ten Conference games in prime time during the upcoming season.  The games will be run on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC over the course of the season.  Each of the six scheduled games includes at least one ranked team in an early ESPN.com preseason Top 25 Poll.  No. 1 Ohio State will play three times across the ESPN family of networks.  No. 9 Michigan will have two televised games in the schedule.  No. 24 and 25, Northwestern and Wisconsin will each have one game aired.  Two of the six games on the schedule will see a Big Ten member team hosting independent Notre Dame, which is currently ranked No. 10 in the ESPN.com preseason Top 25 poll.  More games will be announced in the coming months.  The current slate of scheduled games is available below.

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network
Sat, Sep 7	8p.m.	No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 9 Michigan *	ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Sep 14	8 p.m.	No. 10 Notre Dame at Purdue	ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Sep 28	8p.m.	No. 25 Wisconsin at No. 1 Ohio State	ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Oct 5	8p.m.	No. 1 Ohio State at No. 24 Northwestern	ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Oct 12	5p.m.	No. 9 Michigan at Penn State	ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Oct 26	8p.m.	Penn State at No. 1 Ohio State	ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

  

* Previously Announced

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WNBA Draft Airs On Primetime Tonight

Courtesy: ESPN/WNBA

The 2013 WNBA Draft will be held tonight on ESPN2.  This year marks the first time ever that the WNBA has held the draft in primetime.  It will be highlighted by the “3 To See”, Elena Delle Donne (University of Delaware), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), and Brittney Grinor (Baylor).  The broadcast—presented by State farm—will air at 8pm/7pm CT tonight.  It will be held at ESPN’s Bristol, CT headquarters.  The league’s second and third rounds will air live on ESPNU from 9-10:30pm.  Fans can watch all three rounds online and via mobile devices on WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. Each round consists of twelve picks each.  WNBA fans can get even more content throughout the day today on ESPN’s SportsCenter and on espnW.

Kevin Negandhi will host the draft.  He comes into tonight’s broadcast fresh off the heels of a successful broadcast of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.  It marks the first time that he will host the annual draft.  He will be joined by analysts Rebecca Lobo and Carolyn Peck.  Reporters Holly Rowe and LaChina Robinson will also be on hand to bring viewers the latest news and more live.  Guards and forwards highlight this year’s top draft crop.  Among the top guards expected to be on hand are:  Alex Bentley (Penn State), Layshia Clarendon (California), Kelly Faris (Connecticut), Tayler Hill (Ohio State), Lindsey Moore (Nebraska) and Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown).  The league’s top prospective forwards include:  Tianna Hawkins (Maryland) and Toni Young (Oklahoma State); and center Kelsey Bone (Texas A&M).

The Phoenix Mercury is at the top of this year’s draft for the third time in the history of the franchise.  The Chicago Sky, Tulsa Shock, Washington Mystics, and New York Liberty round out the top five teams in the draft this year.

ESPN and the WNBA are now in the seventeenth year together.  And heads of both organizations recently signed a new contract that will extend the pair’s partnership through the 2022 season.  This year’s season opens with a special Memorial Day doubleheader that pits the league’s top four draft picks against one another.  Washington and Tulsa will face off at 3pm.  Chicago and Phoenix follow that game at 5pm. 

To keep up with all the latest from the WNBA and ESPN, fans can go to the official WNBA Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/wnba and its official website, http://www.wnba.com or the official ESPN2 Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/ESPN and its official website, http://www.espn.com.

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ESPN Releases 2013 NFL Draft Coverage Details

Courtesy: ESPN

It’s that time of year again.  Universities across the country are showing off their teams’ talents for the upcoming season of college football later in the year with Spring games.  Just as the new crop of college players are on display, the next crop of future NFL stars is preparing to make a splash at the annual NFL Draft.  The draft kicks off Thursday, April 25^th and runs through Saturday, April 27^th.  And ESPN will be on hand for all the coverage of this year’s draft.  The first two nights of the draft will air in primetime.  And for the second consecutive year, Round One’s first hour of coverage will air with limited commercial interruption.

Chris Berman will be on hand for the 2013 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light.  This year marks the thirty-third year of coverage for Berman.  He will host ESPN’s draft coverage live from New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.  He will be joined by analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. and Monday Night Football analyst and Superbowl-winning coach Jon Gruden on set.  This year’s draft marks the thirtieth year of covering the draft for Mel Kiper, Jr.  Senior NFL Insider Chris Mortensen and NFL Insider Adam Schefter will be on hand at another set live at Radio City Music Hall.  And NFL32 host Suzy Kolber will be on hand providing interviews with draft prospects.

Trey Wingo takes over as main his on Day 2 & 3 of the NFL Draft.  He will be joined by Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Jr., and ESPN Scouts, Inc. director of scouting Todd McShay.  Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen will also both be back.  They will be joined by Six-time NFL Executive of the Year Bill Polian.  Suzy Kolber will be back broadcasting live on Saturday from Bristol, Connecticut, hosting ten hours of coverage. She will be joined by analysts Tedy Bruschi, Herm Edwards, and Ron Jaworski.  It all begins Saturday, April 26^th with SportsCenter Special: On The Clock at 10am/9am CT.

ESPN will have reporters and correspondents coming to audiences live from team sites and more throughout the weekend, including on the radio on ESPN Radio affiliates across the country.  Josina Anderson will report live from the St. Louis Rams’ team site.  Colleen Dominguez will have reports from the San Francisco 49ers team site.  Sal Paolantonio will be on hand in Philadelphia with reports from the Eagles.  And Ed Werder will be live from Kansas City with reports on the latest from the Chiefs.

Mike Hill and three-time Superbowl Champion Mark Schlereth—co-hosts of ESPN’s Hill and Schlereth—will host ESPN Radio’s NFL Draft 2013 presented by Bud Light on Thursday and Friday, April 25^th and 26^th.  ESPN.com Senior NFL writer John Clayton will join Hill and Schlereth for their broadcast.  ESPN Radio’s coverage begins Thursday, April 25^th at 7pm and Friday, April 26^th at 6pm. 

Leading up to this year’s NFL Draft, ESPN will air SportsCenter Special: On The Clock shows, hosted by a number of ESPN’s top studio analysts.  Among those analysts joining fans for this year’s SportsCenter Special: On The Clock will be: Cris Carter, Trent Dilfer, Tom Jackson, Ron Jaworski, Keyshawn Johnson, Bill Polian, and Steve Young from Bristol.  Trey Wingo will host SportsCenter Special: On The Clock on Thursday, April 25^th at 5pm.  Wendi Nix will host the special on Friday, April 26^th.  And Suzy Kolber will have hosting duties on Saturday, April 27^th.

A full schedule of this year’s NFL Draft coverage on ESPN and the ESPN family of networks is available below.

ESPN NFL Draft TV schedule (Apr. 25-27):

 

Date	Time (ET)	Show	Network
Thurs., April 25	3-4 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	NFL Live Presented by HTC One	ESPN
	5-7:30 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	7:30-8 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown Presented by iShares by Black Rock	ESPN
	8-11:30 p.m.	NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light (Round 1)	ESPN
Fri., April 26	3-4 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	4-5 p.m.	NFL Live Presented by HTC One	ESPN
	5-5:30 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock
	5:30-6:30 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown Presented by iShares by Black Rock	ESPN
	6:30-10:30 p.m.	NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light  (Rounds 2-3)	ESPN/ESPN2
Sat., April 27	10-11:30 a.m.	SportsCenter Special: On the Clock	ESPN
	11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown Presented by iShares by Black Rock	ESPN
	12-8 p.m.	NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light (Rounds 4-7)	ESPN
Sun., April 28	1-3 p.m.	SportsCenter Special: NFL Draft Grades	ESPN

 

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Frozen Four Coverage Skates Back To ESPN This Weekend

Courtesy: ESPN

The NCAA Men’s Division I College Basketball Championship is all over the airwaves during this time of year.  But it’s not the only college championship tournament going on.  Beginning this Friday, March 29^th, the ESPN family of networks will air the annual NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Regional and Semi-Regional rounds live from four regional sites.  The networks—ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU—will also broadcast the Frozen Four and championship matches from Pittsburgh, PA.  The matches will also be carried on local syndication.  Those games carried on local syndication and on ESPN 3 will re-broadcast on ESPNU.

The brackets for the 2013 tournament were announced this past Sunday, March 24^th on ESPNU.  Quinnipiac, Minnesota, UMass Lowell, and Notre Dame were each selected as number one seeds in their respective region.  ESPNU will air more than eight consecutive hours of non-stop college hockey during Regional matchups this weekend.  Friday and Sunday will each see a double header.  Viewers will get a triple header on Saturday.  Hockey analyst Dave Starman and Michigan State head coach Tom Anastos will be in studio to discuss and analyze the games. 

Coverage of this year’s NCAA Division I College Hockey Championship continues into April with coverage of the Frozen Four.  The Frozen Four matchups will air on ESPN2.  The championship will be aired on ESPN.  All coverage on television will also be available online and on mobile technology via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.  ESPN has been airing the NCAA Division I College Hockey Championship since 1980.  This year marks the ninth consecutive year that the ESPN family of networks will present all twelve games of the tournament.  The networks reached a deal last year that would keep the tournament on the ESPN family of networks through 2024.  A complete listing of this year’s tournament matchups is below.

2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Schedule:

Date	Time	Game	Network
Fri, March 29	2 p.m.	West Regional Semifinal Game 1: Yale vs. Minnesota (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Joe Davis & Sean Ritchlin	ESPNU
	4:30 p.m.	Northeast Regional Semifinal Game 1: Wisconsin vs. UMass Lowell (Manchester, N.H.) Clay Matvick & Jim Paradise	ESPN3/Syndicated*
	5:30 p.m.	West Regional Semifinal Game 2: Niagara vs. North Dakota (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Joe Davis & Sean Ritchlin	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Northeast Regional Semifinal Game 2: Denver vs. New Hampshire (Manchester, N.H.) Clay Matvick and Jim Paradise	ESPNU
	10:30 p.m.	Northeast Regional Semifinal Game 1**	ESPNU
Sat, March 30	1:30 p.m.	Midwest Regional Semifinal Game 1: St. Cloud State vs. Notre Dame (Toledo, Ohio) Ben Holden & Darren Eliot	ESPN3/Syndicated*
	4 p.m.	West Regional Final (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Joe Davis & Sean Ritchlin	ESPNU
	5 p.m.	Midwest Regional Semifinal Game 2: Minnesota State Mankato vs. Miami (Ohio) (Toledo, Ohio) Ben Holden & Darren Eliot	ESPN3/Syndicated*
	5:30 p.m.	East Regional Semifinal Game 1: Canisius vs. Quinnipiac (Providence, R.I.) John Buccigross & Barry Melrose	ESPN3/Syndicated*
	6:30 p.m.	Northeast Regional Final (Manchester, N.H.) Clay Matvick & Jim Paradise	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	East Regional Semifinal Game 2: Union vs. Boston College (Providence, R.I.) John Buccigross & Barry Melrose	ESPNU
	11:30 p.m.	East Regional Semifinal Game 1**	ESPNU
Sun, March 31	Noon	Midwest Regional Semifinal Game 1**	ESPNU
	2 p.m.	Midwest Regional Semifinal Game 2**	ESPNU
	4 p.m.	Midwest Regional Final (Toledo, Ohio) Ben Holden & Darren Eliot	ESPNU
	6:30 p.m.	East Regional Final (Providence, R.I.) John Buccigross & Barry Melrose	ESPNU
Thu, April 11	4:30 p.m.	Frozen Four: Semifinal 1 (Pittsburgh, Pa.) John Buccigross, Barry Melrose & Clay Matvick	ESPN2
	8 p.m.	Frozen Four: Semifinal 2 (Pittsburgh, Pa.) John Buccigross, Barry Melrose & Clay Matvick	ESPN2
Sat, April 13	7 p.m.	NCAA’s Men’s Division I Hockey Championship (Pittsburgh, Pa.) John Buccigross, Barry Melrose & Clay Matvick	ESPN

 

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ESPN Breaks New Ground With 2012-2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Coverage

Courtesy: ESPN

Good news for ESPN.  The networks’ coverage of the 2012-2013 college basketball regular season was its most viewed ever.  ESPN averaged nearly 1.4 million viewers over the course of 135 games.  To be precise, it averaged 1,370,000 viewers.  That passes the network’s previous record of 1,353,000 viewers over 130 telecasts during the 2011-2012 Season.  It pulled in a 1.1 coverage rating for both seasons.  Along with this new honor, ESPN also pulled in the season’s three largest audiences for a college basketball game on the network over the course of only a month.  The first of those games was then #3 Indiana taking down #1 Michigan on February 2^nd.  The game was the best for the network.  It brought in an average of 4,035,000 viewers, a 2.9 rating and 2,867,000 households.  The second of the network’s best games was the February 19^th game in which then #1 Indiana defeated #4 Michigan State.  This game brought ESPN its second largest audience of the season, with an average of 3,733,000 viewers, a 2.7 coverage rating and 2,677,000 households.  The third of the network’s highest rated games was the March 2^nd matchup between then #3 Duke defeating #5 Miami 79-76.  The game averaged 3,416,000 viewers, a 2.5 coverage rating and 2,459,000 households. 

In all, ESPN and its network of stations averaged a total of 508,000 viewers for its full slate of 602 games throughout its 2012-2013 season.  It marked the most extensive coverage of men’s basketball on television this season and more than any other networks combined pointing out yet again why ESPN is the sports leader.

One extra interesting note:  Louisville was the highest-rated metered market for the network’s 2012-2013 regular season coverage.  It pulled in an average 4.5 rating.  Greensboro came in second for the second straight year with a 3.1 rating.  A full listing of the top rated cities is available below.

Top 25 Markets for 2012-13	Top 25 Markets for 2011-12
No. 1    Louisville: 4.5 rating	No. 1    Louisville: 4.5 rating
No. 2    Greensboro: 3.1 rating	No. 2    Greensboro: 3.5 rating
No. 3   Raleigh-Durham: 3.0 rating	No. 3   Kansas City: 2.8 rating
No. 4    Indianapolis: 2.9 rating	No. 4    Columbus: 2.7 rating
No. 5   Kansas City: 2.7 rating	Raleigh-Durham 2.7 rating
No. 6   Cincinnati: 2.1 rating	No. 6   Charlotte: 2.3 rating
Columbus: 2.1 rating	No. 7    Cincinnati: 2.1 rating
No. 8   Dayton: 2.0 rating	No. 8   Dayton: 2.0 rating
No. 9    Charlotte: 1.8 rating	No. 9    Indianapolis: 1.8 rating
No. 10  Knoxville: 1.7 rating	Knoxville: 1.8 rating
Nashville: 1.7 rating	No. 11   Memphis: 1.6 rating
No. 12  Detroit: 1.6 rating	Nashville: 1.6 rating
No. 13  Birmingham: 1.5 rating	No. 13  Greenville: 1.5 rating
No. 14  Memphis: 1.3 rating	No. 14  Cleveland: 1.4 rating
Hartford & New Haven: 1.3 rating	Birmingham: 1.4 rating
Greenville: 1.3 rating	Las Vegas: 1.4 rating
Cleveland: 1.3 rating	No. 17  Norfolk: 1.2 rating
Norfolk: 1.3 rating	Hartford and New Haven: 1.2 rating
St. Louis: 1.3 rating	St. Louis: 1.2 rating
No. 20   Richmond: 1.2 rating	No. 20   Fort Myers: 1.1 rating
Las Vegas: 1.2 rating	Atlanta: 1.1 rating
No. 22  Fort Myers: 1.1 rating	Richmond: 1.1 rating
Milwaukee: 1.1 rating	No. 23  Pittsburgh: 1.0 rating
No. 24  Baltimore: 1.0 rating	Detroit: 1.0 rating
Tulsa: 1.0 rating	Oklahoma City: 1.0 rating
Atlanta: 1.0 rating	Jacksonville: 1.0 rating
Oklahoma City: 1.0 rating	Tulsa: 1.0 rating

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ESPN Films Debuts New Film This Weekend

Courtesy: ESPN/ESPNU

ESPN Films will debut a new film in its SEC “Storied” series this weekend.  Miracle 3 will debut this Sunday, March 3^rd at 8pm EST on ESPNU.  The latest in the series focuses on the events of March 14^th, 2008.  It was on that date that an EF2 tornado touched down in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia during a matchup between Alabama and Mississippi State in the SEC tournament.  Alabama was trailing Mississippi State 59-56 in the final seconds of regulation of the first of the tournament’s quarterfinal games.  The game went into OT after Alabama guard Myka Riley hit a three-pointer to tie the game.  The irony of the shot is that not only did it keep the Crimson Tide in the game, but because it extended the game, it may have been to thank for saving thousands of lives.

Because of that shot, the thousands in attendance of the game stayed inside the Georgia Dome instead of going outside.  Had they gone outside, those thousands could have been injured or worse because only minutes after that fateful shot, a tornado touched down just outside the Georgia Dome.  Nobody inside the Georgia Dome was injured.  Though, the arena did sustain enough damage that it forced the remainder of the game to be delayed.  It also caused the last quarterfinal game of the day to be postponed.  SEC officials would end up having to find a new home for the tournament’s final games as a result of the damage to the Georgia Dome so as to finish the tournament on schedule.  The Bulldogs would end up going on to the NCAA tournament after winning three games in a 30-hour span.

The story of Miracle 3 is built around interviews with people involved in those affected by the tornado including players and coaches from teams playing in the tournament, SEC officials, referees, fans, meteorologists, and many more.  Along with airing at 8pm on ESPNU, Miracle 3 will also air earlier in the evening on March 3^rd on ESPN.  It will air at 5pm on ESPN this Sunday evening.

To get the latest news on Miracle 3 and all programming on ESPNU and ESPN, go online to http://www.facebook.com/ESPNU and http://www.facebook.com/ESPN and the official website of ESPNU and ESPN, http://espn.go.com/college-sports/ and http://espn.go.com. 

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The Schwab Returns On ESPNU’s UNITE

Courtesy: ESPN/ESPNU

ESPNU’s first ever late-night entertainment show has a very special new addition to its lineup.  Sports trivia guru Howie Schwab will host a new game show segment on UNITE that will test the sports knowledge of participants from four different NCAA conferences each week beginning with Wednesday night’s new episode. Schwab will be joined by UNITE host, comedian Reese Waters.  Contestants will be posed questions from four different categories—college sports, professional sports, pop-culture, and social media.  The winner of each week’s round will advance through a tournament format until there is only one winner.  The inaugural segment will feature as contestants Evan Roberts (Auburn), Ryan Smith (Ole Miss), and Austin Vaughn (Georgia).  Next week’s segment will feature athletes from the ACC.

Before coming on-board with UNITE, Howie Schwab was the star of ESPNU’s Stump The Schwab.  He started working for ESPN in 1987 in research and is currently a coordinating producer in studio production.

UNITE first debuted on ESPNU August 27^th, 2012.  It is the first show of its kind for the network.  It mixes sports, humor and social buzz and is hosted by the trio of college football analyst Danny Kanell, comedian Reese Waters, and social media host Marianela Pereyra.  DJ Rob Swift will provide the show’s music.  It airs five nights a week at 12am EST on ESPNU.

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ESPNU Announces BracketBusters Schedule

Courtesy: ESPN/ESPNU

ESPNU has officially announced the schedule for its 11^th annual Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters.  The Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters is a two day men’s NCAA basketball series that puts possible NCAA Championship hopefuls against each other.  This year’s event will take place Friday, February 22^nd and Saturday, February 23^rd.  It will feature thirteen televised games across the ESPN family of networks and on WatchESPN and ESPN3.  ESPN2 will air no fewer than three BracketBusters games while ESPNU and ESPN3 will air four each.  There will be two extra flex games that will air either on ESPN or ESPN2.  That final decision is expected about a week before the games.  Audiences can expect the games to feature teams from thirteen different conferences including four teams from the Missouri Valley conference, three each from the MAAC, Mid-American and Ohio Valley Conference.  The full rundown of the games is listed below.

2013 Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters Schedule (All times are Eastern and subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network(s)
Fri, Feb 22	7 p.m.	North Dakota State at Akron	ESPN2 / WatchESPN
	9 p.m.	Stephen F. Austin at Long Beach State	ESPNU / WatchESPN
Sat, Feb 23	11 a.m.	Iona at Indiana State	ESPNU / WatchESPN
	1 p.m.	Eastern Kentucky at Valparaiso	ESPNU / WatchESPN
		Canisius at Vermont	ESPN3
	2 p.m.	Pacific at Western Michigan	ESPN3
	3 p.m.	Montana at Davidson	ESPNU / WatchESPN
		Northwestern State at Niagara	ESPN3
	4 p.m.	Detroit at Wichita State	ESPN or ESPN2 / WatchESPN
	6 p.m.	No. 16 Creighton at Saint Mary’s (Calif.)	ESPN or ESPN2 / WatchESPN
	8 p.m.	South Dakota State at Murray State	ESPN2 / WatchESPN
		Denver at Northern Iowa	ESPN3
	10 p.m.	Ohio at Belmont	ESPN2 / WatchESPN

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ESPNU debuts new special Monday

The 2012 London Summer Olympics are just around the corner.  And just in time to build anticipation for this year’s games, ESPNU will air its newest special, “Lolo.”  “Lolo” airs Monday night at 7pm on ESPNU.

“Lolo” centers on track and field star Lori “Lolo” Jones.  It tells the story of an athlete who started her life with nothing, but through sheer determination and hard work, became one of the greatest names in her sport today.  Director Rory Karpf uses interviews with Jones’ family and friends, and Jones herself to illustrate her story.

Lori “Lolo” Jones’ story starts in Des Moines, Iowa.  She and her siblings grew up hard.  Their father was constantly in and out of the family’s picture.  Their mom struggled to make ends meet.  Jones herself talks about the family’s struggles leading to her having to shoplift food just to make sure she had something to eat and how the family even had to sleep on the floor of a Salvation Army Church because they had nowhere else at one point.  She also recounts how when her father was around, they never had one stable car.  She notes that her dad was always buying cheap cars that broke down quickly.  In the colder months of the year, she would end up having to run from point to point as a result of this.  That, she says, is what started her love of running.  She said of running that, “it [running] was the friend that never left.”

Lolo’s love of running became not just a love, but a genuine talent.  It garnered her a scholarship to LSU.  Jones said of her move to Louisiana that for a girl from Iowa, it was a total culture shock.  As much as it was a culture shock, moving to Louisiana and attending LSU was a turning point for her.  LSU was where she met track and field coach Dennis Shaver.  Shaver would unwittingly become the father figure that Jones needed to nurture her gift.  And he did just that.

Coach Shaver was there for Lolo after she failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.  It was his motivation that kept her going and working her way to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Her run in the ’08 Olympics was nothing short of miraculous.  It was also one of the most important moments in her life.  When she came up short of the Gold in her final event, Jones started to question herself.  That led her to doubt herself in other competitions.  But the reality was that her problems may not have been her fault after all.  As a matter of fact, it would turn out that Jones had a problem that came as a surprise to everyone including herself that led to her ups and downs since the ’08 Olympics.

When she went to see a doctor about everything she was going through, he discovered that Jones actually had a problem with her spine.  It turned out that a problem with her spine had caused her to lose sensation to her feet.  That explained her legs and feet not moving the way she had wanted.  She finally had an answer.  After a successful procedure and recovery, Lolo Jones made an amazing comeback with a win at the ’08 U.S. Open.  And now, she will try to make it to this year’s London Olympics at next month’s Olympic Trials, hoping that the third time will truly be the charm.  Needless to say that when she tries out next month, there will likely be a lot of people watching on television and at those trials chanting, “Go! Go! Lolo! 

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