As we get into the nitty gritty of the college basketball postseason conference tournaments, we all know it’s leading up to Selection Sunday and other good stuff.
Let’s give you some college basketball-related releases so you’re up to date on the latest happenings.
First, ESPN says the 2009-10 regular season was the most viewed in the network’s history.
ESPN Posts Most-Viewed Regular-Season Men’s College Basketball Season
ESPN’s extensive men’s college basketball coverage – featuring 131 regular-season games – was the network’s most-viewed season ever and highest rated since 2005-06. ESPN averaged 1,049,000 households, 1,359,000 viewers and a 1.1 rating for increases of 4 percent (vs. 1,005,000), 8 percent (vs. 1,258,000) and 10 percent (vs. 1.0), respectively, over last year’s 127 games.ESPN’s most-viewed and highest-rated game of the season was the Saturday, Dec. 19, matchup of then-No. 2 Texas and then-No. 10 North Carolina, with Texas winning 103-90. The telecast averaged 2,362,000 households and a 2.4 rating. It was also the network’s most-viewed men’s college basketball game in the fourth quarter (October to December) since Dec. 18, 2001. With 2,949,000 total viewers, the matchup was the most-viewed fourth quarter men’s college basketball telecast among total viewers (adults 2 and older) since Ohio State at North Carolina on Nov. 29, 2006 (3,024,000 viewers).ESPN2 — which televised a network record 173 games, 31 more than last year’s record highest – averaged a 0.4 rating, 372,000 households and 482,000 viewers, equal with last year.
Next, ESPN is getting ready for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament with its own Selection special.
NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special Tips off Two Hours of Selection Monday Features on ESPN and ESPNU
Coverage Continues Tuesday with NCAA Women’s Bracket Special and ESPNU Coaches Spotlight
For the 18th consecutive year, ESPN will present the exclusive, live announcement of the women’s 64-team NCAA Women’s Tournament field on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special on Monday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET. The show will be presented in high definition and simulcast on ESPN360.com. Trey Wingo will host the show with analysts Kara Lawson and Carolyn Peck on the set, while Doris Burke and Rebecca Lobo will join in to further analyze the brackets.The exclusive presentation continues at 8 p.m. on ESPNU with NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special: Extended Coverage as Wingo, Lawson, Peck, Burke and Lobo continue to focus on the brackets, with special attention paid to first-round matchups. The show will feature guests from around the world of women’s basketball. The two hours of programming will tip off ESPN’s robust coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship – all 63 games March 20-April 6 exclusively on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com and ESPN FULL COURT. Meanwhile, ESPN will feature supplemental women’s NCAA Championship content across its platforms, including ESPNU.com, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, ESPNEWS, ESPN Mobile and ESPN.com.On Tuesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. on ESPN, Wingo, Lawson and Peck will return for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket Special. The show will more closely examine the bracket seeds and matchups, with more interviews and reaction from the basketball community.NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special at a GlanceMarch 15, 7 p.m., ESPN and ESPN360.com; Extended coverage, 8 p.m. ESPNU
- Virtual player cards for Connecticut’s Tina Charles and Stanford’s Jayne Appel, along with analysis of more players and teams, each bracket and players to watch within each bracket;
- Exclusive interview with NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee Chair Jane Meyer;
- Live interviews and reactions from coaches, including Connie Yori of Nebraska, one of only two undefeated teams in the country;
- Opening tease to the show: Darius Rucker’s “History in the Making.”
Selection Monday on ESPN.com
- Expert analysis from Graham Hays and Mechelle Voepel, including their picks on the toughest region, best first-round game, Women’s Final Four and more;
- Predictions and analysis from women’s basketball Bracketologist Charlie Creme, who will also take a look ahead at the worst- and best-case scenarios for all 64 teams;
- Live chat at 9:30 p.m. with NCAA Div. I Women’s Basketball Committee Chair Jane Meyer.
ESPNU Coaches Spotlight: Women’s Tournament EditionThe
three-hour special ESPNU Coaches Spotlight: Women’s Tournament Edition on Tuesday, March 16, at 3 p.m. on ESPNU will attempt to interview 32 coaches and discuss other top stories. Beth Mowins and Cara Capuano will interview the coaches during the show, while Abby Waner will be the in-studio analyst. Lawson and Peck will join the show from Bristol.Women’s Tournament Challenge on ESPN.comRegistration has begun on ESPN.com for the 14th annual ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge. The Tournament Challenge game is free and allows contestants to submit up to 10 entries. Fans complete and submit a bracket of hypothetical tournament outcomes. Points are awarded for each correct pick, with point values increasing as the Tournament progresses.The Women’s Tournament Challenge winner will receive 3,000 ESPN Winner’s Circle points, which are redeemable for prizes on the ESPN Winner’s Circle Web site. Entries for the Women’s Tournament Challenge will be accepted until just before tipoff of the first game Saturday, March 20.All 63 NCAA Championship Games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com & ESPN FULL COURTFor the eighth consecutive year, the ESPN networks will combine to present all 63 games from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. During the first two rounds, ESPN and ESPN2 will present the 48 games within 12 telecast windows in a whip-around format with home market protection. ESPN360.com will offer complete game telecasts of all 63 games, while ESPNU will offer select ESPN and ESPN2 early-round games in their entirety. The final 15 games (regional semifinals and beyond) will be televised nationally on ESPN or ESPN2. ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN’s out-of-market, pay-per-view package, will offer complete game telecasts of all 48 games. The complete schedule will be announced at a later date.
And Sirius XM listeners will hear every game of the NCAA Tournament and for the first time, XM Satellite Radio subscribers will be able to hear the games. Last year, the first since the Sirius XM merger, XM listeners were not able to access the NCAA Tournament, but management worked it out this year so those on the XM platform can listen to the games without problems.
SIRIUS XM RADIO TO BROADCAST EVERY GAME OF THE 2010 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPSIRIUS and XM listeners nationwide get every shot from every gameDuke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s exclusive SIRIUS XM show, ‘Basketball and Beyond with Coach K,’ will air throughout the tournament‘Rivals Radio’ and Mad Dog Radio channel to offer daily analysis, interviews with coaches and players, and fan reactionsNEW YORK – SIRIUS XM Radio announced today that every game of the 2010 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will air nationwide on both SIRIUS and XM, offering listeners uninterrupted access to play-by-play of every match-up from the opening round game on March 16 through the Final Four and National Championship game in Indianapolis on April 3-5.For the first time, tournament games will be available to both SIRIUS and XM listeners. Every game will air in its entirety, with no blackouts, on SIRIUS channels 122, 125, 126, 90 and 91 and XM channels 143, 241, 242, 243 and 244. Second round games on March 20 and 21 will also air on Mad Dog Radio, SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144. SIRIUS XM’s Steve Torre will anchor the coverage on these channels, providing up-to-the-minute scores and highlights during game breaks and directing listeners to other games around the dial.Tournament match-ups and SIRIUS and XM channel assignments will be available at www.sirius.com/collegesports and www.xmradio.com/collegesports starting Monday, March 15.On Selection Sunday, March 14, Mad Dog Radio will air a special Mad Dog Radio Tournament Selection Show live from 6:00 to 9:00 pm ET. Host Gary Williams will provide listeners with live updates as tournament teams and match-ups are announced, and will interview special guests, including team coaches and selection committee chairman Dan Guerrero. College basketball fans around the country can call in to the show to talk live with Williams and share their reactions and opinions as the field of 65 is revealed.Throughout the tournament, SIRIUS and XM listeners can tune in to several exclusive spor
ts talk shows that will offer comprehensive tournament coverage.Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski will continue to host his weekly talk show, Basketball and Beyond with Coach K, throughout the tournament. Listeners can hear the show Wednesday evenings (8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT) on Mad Dog Radio. Additionally, Coach K will join Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo on Russo’s show, Mad Dog Unleashed (airing weekdays, 2:00-7:00 pm ET), at various times during the tournament for updates.Rivals Radio, the college sports talk show hosted by Bill King and Chris Childers, airs every weekday morning (7:00–11:00 am ET) on SIRIUS XM Sports Nation, SIRIUS channel 122 and XM channel 143.Listeners can also tune in for live sports talk all day every day on Mad Dog Radio (SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144), where hosts will discuss all the latest news from the tournament with college hoops fans across the country. On Friday, April 2 (6:00-10:00 am ET) and Saturday, April 3 (10:00 am – noon ET), Gary Williams will host special editions of The First Word live from Indianapolis.SIRIUS XM will also broadcast games from the NCAA® Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, providing listeners from coast to coast with full coverage of every regional final, the Final Four and the Women’s championship game.Visit www.sirius.com/collegesports or www.xmradio.com/collegesports for game times and channels.
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