Hofstra, North Carolina, Rutgers and Syracuse Featured in Men’s Lacrosse Doubleheader

The ESPNU Warrior Classic, a men’s college lacrosse doubleheader, has a new home at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., home of Major League Lacrosse’s Charlotte Hounds. The third annual event will be played Saturday, April 14, and will feature Rutgers vs. No. 7 Syracuse in the first game at 11 a.m. ET, followed by No. 11 Hofstra vs. No. 6 North Carolina at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be televised on ESPNU.

Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 15. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children, senior citizens and students with school ID. Group discounts will also be available at $12 per ticket (minimum 50 people).

Hofstra, North Carolina and Syracuse all reached the NCAA Championship in 2011. North Carolina has won four national titles and played in five consecutive postseason tournaments, after posting a 10-6 record in 2011. Syracuse has won 10 NCAA titles, the highest total among all schools, and went 15-2 a year ago. Hofstra finished 13-3 last season and reached the NCAA Championship for a school-record fourth consecutive time. Rutgers held a 5-8 record last season, and is now under the direction of first-year head coach Brian Brecht.

“We are thrilled and honored for the opportunity to be a part of the ESPNU Warrior Classic in Charlotte,” said North Carolina head coach Joe Breschi. “There are so many UNC fans across the great state of North Carolina and this will give the Tar Heel faithful an opportunity to see the Carolina Blue in action. With the growth of the sport in the South and the addition of an MLL team in Charlotte, this should be a sold out event!! Go Heels."

“We are thrilled about being part of bringing Division I lacrosse excitement to a growing area like Charlotte in the ESPNU Warrior Classic," said Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney. "The opportunity to expose our program and help grow the sport in a great sports town like Charlotte is quite exciting. Like last year in Connecticut, we thank ESPNU for putting together another great day of lacrosse."

“We’re excited about being part of this event,” said Syracuse head coach John Desko. “It’s unique for our program and our players to play in Charlotte and to receive some exposure there that we otherwise wouldn’t. We thank ESPN for that opportunity and look forward to facing Rutgers, one our conference rivals, on the national stage.”

“Rutgers is very excited to be part of such a prestigious event, and we want to thank ESPN, Warrior and New Balance for this opportunity,” said Rutgers’ Brecht. “Playing in a major league stadium and being part of a doubleheader with three other top 10 programs provides Rutgers with great national exposure, as well as giving our student-athletes an unbelievable experience that they will always remember.”

The first two years of the ESPNU Warrior Classic were played at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. In the inaugural ESPNU Warrior Classic in 2010, Denver defeated Fairfield and Massachusetts defeated Georgetown. Last season, Syracuse defeated Rutgers and Hofstra defeated Massachusetts.

ESPNU has been televising NCAA lacrosse matches since the first week the network was launched in March 2005.

For more information, visit ESPNUWarriorClassic.com.

ESPNU
The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually and offers over 600 original studio shows. ESPNU has seen a steady increase since its inception on March 4, 2005 and is now in over 73 million households. The brand is also available in high definition on ESPNUHD, now in over 20 million homes. The network has long-term carriage agreements with all 10 of the top multichannel TV providers – Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV (Channel 208), DISH Network (Channel 141), Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS TV and AT&T U-verse.

ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership
The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 1,200 sporting events. Content includes action from NCAA football, basketball and Olympic sports, NHRA and professional and amateur golf, accounting for more than 3,400 live and/or original hours of programming. ERT’s owned and operated events reach over a million fans a year and provides more than 200 additional hours of programming.

In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (SEC, BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, WAC) and manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several sporting events:
Collegiate Football
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg; Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.); MAACO Bowl Las Vegas; Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Houston); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.) and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards
Collegiate Basketball
Anaheim Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); State Farm Champions Classic (Madison Square Garden; debuts 2011); DIRECTV Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant (S.C.); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and Sears BracketBusters  
Collegiate Lacrosse
ESPNU Warrior Classic 
Additional Events
Hawaiian Islands Invitational (Soccer) and ESPN National Golf Challenge

For more information, visit ESPNPlus.com

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January 24, 2012

College Basketball GameDay Corner

ESPN’s College GameDay Covered by State Farm heads to a first-time site this week – visiting the campus of the University of Arizona – Saturday, Jan. 28 (10 a.m., ESPNU; 11 a.m. & 6 p.m., ESPN). The show continues on its eight-week journey each Saturday morning and evening with the college basketball program originating from the site of ESPN’s Saturday Primetime Presented by DIRECTV telecast – this week showcasing Washington at Arizona at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.

For the eighth year, Rece Davis serves as point guard for the College GameDay desk, and is joined by analysts Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis and Bob

The ESPN College GameDay crew visited Pittsburgh and the Oakland Zoo came out in full force to support their team.

Knight to preview all the day’s action and discuss the biggest storylines in college basketball. Dan Shulman, along with Knight and Bilas, will have the call of the primetime game.

This week’s College GameDay will air a special segment – Tanner’s Totes, featuring Clemson forward Tanner Smith, who gives tote bags filled with gifts to pre-teens who are hospitalized with cancer. It is a mission Smith has been fulfilling since he was 12, after growing up watching his father battle cancer. Rece Davis will also pit two Arizona teammates against each other – in GameDay’s own Know Your Teammate game.

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Spotlight: Dick Vitale

Basketball Hall of Famer Dick Vitale is in his 33rd year as an analyst with ESPN and hasn’t let longevity slow him down. He continues to work a full schedule calling multiple games each week – including ESPN’s Saturday Primetime game-of-the- week series – and making appearances across multiple ESPN platforms and shows. In addition to his analyst duties, Dick works tirelessly to raise money for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Last year’s Dick Vitale Gala raised $1.3 million for pediatric cancer.

You started at ESPN in 1979 and haven’t slowed down. How do you keep your energy to keep going strong?
First, I’m blessed. You know, I wake up every day with a goal and purpose with what I want to achieve. I write down three things that I want to accomplish for that day every morning.

What is it like to go onto different campuses every week and still feel the excitement of the fans?
It’s amazing. Just last Saturday, when I walked into the Oakland Zoo in Pittsburgh, the fans were chanting “Dickie V, Dickie V, Dickie V.” I got goose bumps. I pinch myself. I am so honored. My mother and father taught me a long time ago, they said “be good to people.” They always said if you are good to people, they will be good to you. I’m a big believer that all people are the same and no one is better than anyone else. I always try to treat people with respect.

Are you getting ready for the seventh annual Dick Vitale Gala benefiting The V Foundation on May 18?
Oh yea. We are so honored to have a mixture of football and basketball honorees with Lou Holtz, Gary Williams and Jay Wright. We want to make it better and different every year. I can’t reveal anything we’re working on yet but we will have some special stuff this year. Fans can go to dickvitaleonline.com for details on how to attend or donate.

What are some of the factors you consider when choosing the Dickie V Game-of-the-Week re-air that is on ESPNU on Sunday nights?
It’s so great to give the fans a chance to see a special game from the week. I look for what any fan would, if it was an exciting game, if people would really enjoy watching, any surprises in it.

Dick Vitale Photo Gallery

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On the

College Basketball takes center court this week but ESPN’s coverage of National Signing Day is warming up the sidelines for 10-hours of continuous coverage on ESPNU next Wednesday.

Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) – College Basketball Featured rewinds fans through some of ESPN’s best basketball features this week, including Sports Science: Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) getting air; Logistics of the Game: Doron Lamb (Kentucky); and the story of Thomas Robinson (Kansas) and how his second-family of teammates pulled him through a traumatic year.

Wednesday (6 p.m.) – ESPNU All-Access: North Carolina State goes inside the newly redesigned basketball facilities with first-year head coach Mark Gottfried. ESPNU cameras follow senior guard C.J. Williams around town and catch some of he and Scott Wood’s trick shots after practice. Gottfried and assistant coaches Orlando Early and Bobby Lutz are wired at team meetings and practice.

Next Tuesday (4 p.m.) – ESPNU kicks-off its National Signing Day coverage with a preview special hosted by Dari Nowkhah, followed by 10-hours of continuous live coverage the following day from ESPNU’s Charlotte studio and campuses around the nation. Join the conversation by following @ESPNU and #signingday.

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Weekly Highlights

ESPN’s men’s basketball schedule this week showcases several of the nation’s top ranked teams, including second-ranked Missouri, who rose from No. 5 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, at Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Jan. 25, (7:30 p.m., ESPN2 & ESPN3). In addition six teams in the top 10 are in action, along with No. 24 Kansas State and No. 25 Wisconsin, who entered this week’s poll. Highlights:

The lone top 25 matchup features a Big Ten battle, No. 17 Indiana at No. 25 Wisconsin on Thursday (9 p.m., ESPN2 & ESPN3)

• No. 2 Missouri battles at Oklahoma State on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., ESPN2 & ESPN3)
• Syracuse, ranked No. 4 after its first loss last weekend, hosts West Virginia on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPNU)
• Also Saturday, No. 20 Saint Mary’s plays at BYU (9 p.m., ESPNU)
• Fifth-ranked Kansas travels to Iowa State on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN & ESPN3), followed by No. 10 Georgetown at Pittsburgh (4 p.m.)
• Both No. 6 Duke and No. 8 North Carolina are featured twice: Duke at Maryland on Wednesday (9 p.m.) and vs. St. John’s on Saturday (noon) - both on ESPN & ESPN3; UNC vs. NC State on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN & ESPN3) and vs. Georgia Tech in the ESPNU ACC Sunday Night Basketball series (6 p.m.)

Schedules & Announcers
Studio | Men’s Basketball | Women’s Basketball

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Three top 25 women’s basketball matchups will air on ESPN networks this week, including a top five battle pitting No. 3 Connecticut at No. 5 Duke on Monday, Jan. 30, (7 p.m., ESPN2 & ESPN3) as part of the Big Monday Presented by Bud Light series. Additional weekly highlights:

• No. 12 Rutgers visits No. 18 Georgetown in a BIG EAST tilt on Sunday (1:30 p.m., ESPNU)
• No. 9 Tennessee plays at No. 15 Georgia, also on Sunday (5 p.m., ESPN2 & ESPN3)
• Two other top teams take to the road against non-ranked opponents – No. 2 Notre Dame at St. John’s on Saturday (noon, BIG EAST Network & ESPN3), and No. 19 Penn State visits Michigan State on Sunday  (3 p.m., ESPN2 & ESPN3)

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Spring Sports Schedules Announced

Lacrosse | ACC Baseball & Softball

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College Sports Media Kit
ESPN MediaZone’s Home for Everything College Sports

ESPN announces its extensive 2012 college lacrosse coverage across ESPN, ESPNU and ESPN3 with a schedule featuring nationally-ranked programs, top-caliber games and the addition of the ACC Men’s and Women’s and BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championships. The schedule includes 49 total games – featuring 39 regular-season matchups, 37 men’s and two women’s games – plus the crowing of six conference champions on ESPNU and ESPN3. Coverage begins with No. 4 Johns Hopkins hosting Towson on Friday, Feb. 17, at noon on ESPNU.

Schedule highlights:

• At least one appearance from each team in the top 10 of Inside Lacrosse Division Preseason Rankings and 14 of the 16 teams that qualified for the 2011 NCAA Championship, including seven appearances from the defending champion Virginia
• ESPN will air two top-10 games – No. 7 Syracuse at No. 1 Virginia on Sunday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m. and the Cavaliers at No. 6 North Carolina on Sunday, April 7, at noon
• A rematch of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship game between No. 8 Maryland and top-ranked Virginia on Saturday, March 31, at noon on ESPNU
• ESPN3 will offer eight exclusive games including three appearances by second-ranked Duke – at No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 18, at No. 8 Maryland on Saturday, March 3 and at Georgetown on Saturday, March 24
• Games from four in-season tournaments – Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic (Baltimore) on Saturday, March 10, Konica Minolta Big City Classic (East Rutherford, N.J.) on Sunday, April 1, ESPNU Warrior Classic (Charlotte, N.C.) on Saturday, April 14 and Mile High Classic (Denver) on Friday, April 27
• ESPNU will carry two regular-season women’s games plus the ACC Women’s Lacrosse Championship title match as part of ACC Monday on Monday, April 23, at 3 p.m.
• Five men’s conference champions will be crowned on ESPNU or ESPN3
  • The entire ACC Championship will air live on ESPNU beginning with the semifinals on Friday, April 20 at 5 and 7:30 p.m. and the title game on Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m.
  • ESPNU will carry the final game of the BIG EAST Championship on Saturday, May 5, at noon along with the first semifinal on Thursday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m.; in addition, the second semifinal tilt will be at 7 p.m. on ESPN3
  • ESPN3 will be the home to the Ivy League Championship semifinals on Friday, May 4, at 5 and 8 p.m., while ESPNU will offer the title game that Sunday at noon
  • The America East and ECAC champions will be crowned on ESPN3

This season, the network’s telecasts will include a deep roster of experienced and knowledgeable lacrosse analysts: Ryan Boyle (Four-time All-American at Princeton), Paul Carcaterra (All-American at Syracuse and a member of 1995 National Championship team), Mark Dixon (former Johns Hopkins midfielder), Ryan Flanagan (All-American defenseman at UNC), Quint Kessenich (Four-time All-American at Johns Hopkins), Jamie Munro (All-American at Brown and former Denver head coach) and Matt Ward (former Virginia attackman and 2006 Tewaaraton winner). Play-by-play announcers include: ESPNU’s Anish Shroff, Joe Beninati (Bowdoin College goalie), Mike Corey, Ben Holden and Eamon McAnaney (Notre Dame defenseman). Newcomer Courtney Martinez Connor (Four-time NCAA Championship at Maryland) will handle analysis of the women’s games.

ESPN Network’s 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Regular-Season Schedule (Schedule subject to change; all times are Eastern) 

* - tape delay; rankings from Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll

For the sixth straight year, ESPN networks will provide exclusive coverage of all 15 games from the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. Coverage will be in high definition across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU beginning Saturday, May 12 and concluding with the national title game on Monday, May 28. ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile will also feature select games. In addition, the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship semifinals and national title game will be aired on ESPN networks on Friday, May 25 and Sunday, May 27.

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17^th Straight Year Covering Semifinals & Final – May 28 & 30 from M&T Bank Stadium  

To Tweet this release: http://es.pn/ESPNLax  

Download photos

May 25, 2011

ESPN’s NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Coverage
National Semifinals (ESPN2/ESPN3.com) – Saturday, May 28: No. 7 seed Virginia vs. No. 6 seed Denver at 4 p.m. ET, and Maryland vs. No. 5 seed Duke at 6:30 p.m. 

National Championship (ESPN/ESPN3.com/ESPN Mobile) – Monday, May 30: Semifinal Winners at 3:30 p.m.

* - All three games available in high definition

Championship Weekend Storylines

• ESPN has covered 28 NCAA Lacrosse Championships since 1980; 2011 marks the 17th consecutive year of covering the entire championship weekend;
• Microphones will be worn by all three game officials during the semifinals and championship game providing on-field dialogue throughout the telecast with periodic switches to each official;
• The telecast will use nine cameras, in addition to the Sky Cam:
  • A Super Slo Motion camera will allow viewers to experience a visually enhanced presentation;
• Sean McDonough returns for his second year as the play-by-play announcer, and will be joined by veteran analyst and former Johns Hopkins All-American Quint Kessenich, who will be calling his 17^th lacrosse championship;
• Eamon McAnaney, a former Notre Dame men’s lacrosse player, has been covering the NCAA Lacrosse Championship for ESPN since 2007, and returns to the sideline for the third time and second straight year;
• Syracuse graduates Anish Shroff and former lacrosse All-American Paul Carcaterra will be in studio from Bristol, Conn., to provide perspective at halftimes and in-between games on Saturday, and at halftime on Monday:
  • In-between games on Saturday, ESPN2 will run a feature on how the family of slain UVA women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love has turned their tragedy into a positive by helping others better their lives;
  • All-access features with the weekend’s semifinalists and how they have achieved success this season;
• The ACC has three of the four teams in Baltimore this weekend including defending national champion Duke (14-5), and Virginia (11-5), who both return to the national semifinals for the second straight year, while unseeded Maryland (12-4) makes a hometown debut to the semis for the first time since 2006;
• Denver (15-2) advances to the national semifinal for the first time in program history under legendary head coach Bill Tierney, who is 32-12 all-time in NCAA Division I tournament games, having won six national titles all at Princeton;

ESPN3.com 

• ESPN3.com will provide simulcast coverage of all three games from Baltimore;
• Exclusive Sky Cam views of the championship weekend games can be seen on ESPN3.com;
• ESPN3.com will also have full coverage of the postgame celebration, trophy presentation and the net cutting. 

ESPNU

• ESPNU will provide immediate postgame coverage after the title game, followed by the 2011 NCAA Lacrosse Championship Post Show at 6 p.m. with additional perspective, interviews and reaction from M&T Stadium from McDonough, Kessenich, McAnaney, along with analyst Stephen McElduff;
• ESPNU All-Access Denver will reair Wednesday, May 25, at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, May 26, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 29, at 2 a.m.;
• ESPNU All-Access Duke will be reshown Wednesday, May 25, at 11:30 p.m., Thursday, May 26, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., along with Sunday, May 29, at 4 a.m.

ESPN.com

• ESPN.com columnist Dana O’Neil will be covering championship weekend, including a feature on Tierney, complete game coverage and a preview/feature Sunday heading into the championship game;
• Acclaimed writer Mark Winegardner will be filing daily features for ESPN.com looking to capture the unique atmosphere of the NCAA Lacrosse Championship;
• Live chat during the semifinals and final game with Carcaterra during semifinals and championship game;
• On Monday, ESPN.com will look back at 40 years of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship, including video from coaches around the country.

ESPNFrontRow.com

• Debuted March 30 and will offer behind-the-scenes views from ESPN’s coverage of the entire NCAA Championship.

ESPN Mobile

• Covered six early-round games, in addition to the title game, on the industry-leading mobile Web sports site, including on-demand video highlights and ESPN Alerts to deliver score updates.

ESPN International

• The semifinal games will be shown live on Saturday, May 28, on ESPN2 Australia and ESPN2 Caribbean. 
• The championship game will air live on Monday, May 30, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN PacRim, Caribbean, ESPN America Middle East, Australia and Brazil HD networks;
• ESPN America in Europe will debut the semifinals back-to-back leading into the title game live on Monday;
• Same day/next day airs will be available on ESPN Africa, Middle East and Latin America networks;
   

NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Schedule (Schedule subject to change)

For the fifth straight year, ESPN networks combined to televise the complete NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship, including first-round coverage, plus every game from the quarterfinals through the title game. In 2011, ESPN networks televised more than 40 college regular-season men’s lacrosse games – featuring 32 matchups on ESPNU or ESPN and 12 games plus five simulcasts on ESPN3.com.

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The 2011 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) season will feature all 36 regular-season games streamed live on ESPN3.com as the eleventh season of MLL action is slated to begin Saturday, May 14, with a tripleheader. In addition, the 2011 Sports Authority MLL All-Star Game and the Sports Authority MLL Championship Weekend presented by Warrior will air on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com.

The season opens with a tripleheader on ESPN3.com, featuring Long Island at Boston at 7 p.m. ET, Rochester at Chesapeake also at 7 p.m. and Hamilton at Denver at 9 p.m. ESPN2 will also air two regular-season games – Chesapeake at Long Island Saturday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Rochester at Chesapeake Saturday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m.

The 2011 Sports Authority MLL All-Star Game will take place Saturday, July 9, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com from Harvard Stadium in Boston, Mass. The season will culminate with the Sports Authority MLL Championship Weekend presented by Warrior Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27 & 28, also on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com, from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

Play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati and analyst Quint Kessenich will once again serve as the commentator team for the MLL telecasts on ESPN2. Beninati will be returning for his 10^th season, while Kessenich will begin his 11^th. A variety of commentators for ESPN3.com will be utilized including announcing teams of Jason Chandler & Dave Evans, Scott Garceau & Evan Washburn, Dave Ryan & Charlie Lockwood, Joe Beninati & Quint Kessenich, Eamon McAnaney & Paul Carcaterra, Mike Evans & Ron Zwerin and Steve Warzala & Brian Shanahan.

ESPN has been the national television home of Major League Lacrosse since 2003, and in 2004 aired the New Balance Championship Game – the first live national telecast of a Major League Lacrosse competition.

2011 Major League Lacrosse Television Schedule (All times are Eastern and subject to change)

About ESPN3.com
ESPN3.com is ESPN's live sports broadband network, a 24/7 online destination that delivers thousands of live, global sports events annually.  It is currently available in approximately 70 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or cable TV video subscription from an affiliated service provider.  It is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.

About Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded by Jake Steinfeld and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.  Major League Lacrosse commenced play in June of 2001, when the MLL was praised and heralded for its on-field play, regarded as the best ever seen. Major League Lacrosse has continued to lead the sport of lacrosse into the mainstream of competitive team sports. Comprised of six teams located in Boston, Chesapeake, Denver, Long Island, Rochester and Hamilton, Major League Lacrosse is in its eleventh season this year.

For more information, please visit the Official League website at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.

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ESPNU announces its 2011 college lacrosse coverage almost 60 games – including a rematch of the 2010 NCAA National Championship game between Duke and Notre Dame in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 20, at 3 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com. The schedule includes 58 total games – featuring 40 regular-season matchups, 38 men’s and two women’s games and all 15 games of the NCAA Men’s Championship. Coverage begins on ESPN3.com – one of 12 exclusive games for the online network – with Johns Hopkins at Towson Saturday, Feb. 19 at noon ET. All games on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be simulcast on ESPN3.com.

Schedule highlights include:

• The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore – home of the 2011 NCAA Championship – Saturday, March 12. ESPNU will air a BIG EAST matchup between Syracuse and Georgetown at 11 a.m., and a non-conference game pitting Cornell vs. Virginia at 1:30 p.m. ESPN3.com will carry the third game of the event – Johns Hopkins against UMBC at 4 p.m.
• The Konica Minolta Big City Classic at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, April 3, in its second year at the newly opened stadium. The tripleheader will include BIG EAST teams Rutgers vs. St. John’s at 1 p.m. on ESPN3.com, followed by two games on ESPNU – Johns Hopkins vs. North Carolina at 4 p.m., and Syracuse vs. Duke at 6:30 p.m., the winners of the last three NCAA Championship titles.
• The ESPNU Warrior Classic at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., Saturday, April 23, which will showcase CAA opponents Massachusetts and Hofstra will face-off at 3 p.m., followed by a BIG EAST tilt between Rutgers and Syracuse at 5:30 p.m.
• Eleven of 16 teams that qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championship will be featured, including five appearances from the defending national champion Duke.
• Johns Hopkins women’s program will be shown twice on ESPNU – at Georgetown on Wednesday, March 16, at 6 p.m. and at home against Penn Wednesday, March 23, at 5 p.m.

For the fifth straight year, the ESPN networks will televise the complete NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship, beginning with first-round action on Saturday, May 14. ESPNU will televise six first-round and two quarterfinal games May 14-22. ESPN2 will televise two-first round games and two quarterfinals, plus the National Semifinals Saturday, May 28 at 4 & 6:30 p.m. ESPN will offer the National Championship game Monday, May 30 at 3:30 p.m. ESPN3.com will simulcast the entire championship weekend.

ESPN Network’s 2011 College Lacrosse Schedule (Schedule subject to change)

ESPN Network’s 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Schedule (Schedule subject to change)

About ESPNU
ESPNU launched March 4, 2005. The 24-hour college sports television network televises more than 650 live events annually. Action includes a variety of top football and men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as Olympic sports from 26 Division I conferences. ESPNU is the destination for premier high school programming, including elite football and basketball events. The network also has a wide-ranging agreement with the NCAA for extensive coverage of 22 NCAA Championships.

ESPNU offers over 400 original studio shows, including SportsCenterU, ESPNU Recruiting Insider, The Experts, The Bracket, BCS Countdown and is the television home of ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd. The brand is also available in high definition on ESPNU HD, now in over 17 million homes. In addition, ESPNU Campus Connection is a multiplatform, student-generated content initiative to enhance the network’s link to college campuses nationwide.

ESPNU has seen a steady increase since its inception and is now in approximately 73 million households across the country. The network has long-term carriage agreements with all 10 of the top multichannel TV providers – Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV (Channel 208), DISH Network (Channel 141), Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS TV and AT&T U-verse.

About ESPN3.com
ESPN3.com delivers thousands of live, global sports events annually.  It is available in approximately 65 million households nationwide via dozens of affiliated service providers including Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Cox, Charter, Windstream, RCN, Insight, Frontier, Cavalier, Mediacom, Conway, Grande Communications and many more.  It is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.  For more information about the service, click HERE.

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The second annual ESPNU Warrior Classic, a men’s college lacrosse doubleheader, will be played Saturday, April 23, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.

The doubleheader will feature Massachusetts vs. Hofstra in the first game at 4 pm ET, followed by Rutgers vs. Syracuse at 6:30 p.m. Both games will be televised live on ESPNU. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Hofstra and Syracuse both reached the NCAA Championship in 2010. The Orange won the 2008 and 2009 NCAA titles. Massachusetts was ranked as high as No. 9 while earning an 8-6 record. Rutgers finished with a 6-8 mark.

“We are excited to be playing in the ESPNU Warrior Classic at Rentschler Field this year, “ Hofstra coach Seth Tierney said. “The opportunity to play a key CAA game and a big rival in UMass on ESPNU is greatly welcomed and appreciated. The Hofstra-UMass series has been a great rivalry with many contests decided by a goal or two. We thank ESPNU and Warrior Lacrosse for putting on this great day of lacrosse in Connecticut.”

“UMass and the men's lacrosse program are excited to be a part of the ESPNU Warrior Classic once again in 2011,” said Massachusetts coach Greg Cannella. “The event was very well run and great to be a part of for us. Our game with Hofstra, a CAA game, hopefully will draw fans from all over New England and New York to Rentschler Field. ESPNU continues to support college lacrosse regionally and nationally, which is greatly appreciated by all of us here at UMass.”

“We’re excited to be part of this event,” said Syracuse head coach John Desko. “ESPNU and Warrior did a tremendous job of getting it off the ground last season. It’s great exposure for the sport to have two more games on national television. On the field, you have four good teams going at it. For us, it’s an important conference game against Rutgers so we’re looking forward to it.”

“We appreciate the opportunity ESPN is providing us to play in the ESPNU Warrior Classic,” said Rutgers head coach Jim Stagnitta. “The chance to be part of this event against an opponent like Syracuse will be a great experience for our players, not to mention the exposure it will provide for our program. We have a long history of exciting games against Syracuse and look forward to representing the BIG EAST Conference in this event.”

In the inaugural ESPNU Warrior Classic, Denver defeated Fairfield and Massachusetts defeated Georgetown on April 24 at Rentschler Field.

ESPNU has been televising NCAA lacrosse matches since the first week the network was launched in March 2005.

ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership
The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 1,000 telecasts of sporting events. Programming includes football, basketball, NCAA events, golf and NHRA events accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours of programming. In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (e.g. – SEC, BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, WAC).

ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several sporting events, including collegiate football events: the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg; Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas); Birmingham Bowl; MAACO Bowl Las Vegas; New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Texas Bowl (Houston); the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards; collegiate basketball events: the 76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); Cancun Governor’s Cup; Charleston Classic (S.C.); DIRECTV SEC/BIG EAST Invitational; Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Honda Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); Lane Furniture All-College Basketball Classic (Oklahoma City) and BracketBusters; as well as the ESPNU Warrior Classic (Lacrosse) and the ESPN National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway. For more information, visit ESPNPlus.com.

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Media Contacts: Charley Green, Media Coordinator, 214-734-8028, cgreen@breakaway-sports.com; Rachel Margolis, ESPN, 860-766-2798 or Rachel.l.margolis@espn.com

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For the fourth consecutive year, ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of all 15 games from the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. Coverage across ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN and ESPN3.com will begin May 15 and conclude May 31.

For the first time, every telecast will be available in high definition, an increase from the 11 high definition games in 2009. ESPNU HD will televise seven of the eight first-round games and the four quarterfinal contests May 15-23. ESPN2 HD will televise the semifinals May 29 while ESPN HD will offer a first-round matchup May 15 and the championship May 31. ESPN3.com will simulcast the semifinals and championship games. ESPNU televised 16 regular-season games in high definition this year.

Notable production elements will include NCAA officials wearing wireless microphones during the semifinals and championship for the fifth consecutive year and the use of the SkyCam camera positioned over the stadium for a sweeping, overhead view of the action.

Telecasts will include a deep roster of experienced and knowledgeable lacrosse announcers: Mark Dixon (former Johns Hopkins midfielder), Jack Emmer (former Army head coach and the NCAA’s winningest Division I head coach), Quint Kessenich (All-American at Johns Hopkins), Stephen McElduff (former North Carolina defensemen), Matt Ward (former Virginia attackman and 2006 Tewaaraton winner), Jamie Munro (All-American at Brown and former Denver head coach) and Paul Carcaterra (All-American at Syracuse and a member of 1995 National Championship team. Play-by-play announcers include Eamon McAnaney, Carter Blackburn, Ben Holden, Rob Simmelkjaer and Scott Garceau.

2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU

In addition to all 15 NCAA Tournament games, ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com combined to offer 40 regular-season contests, with 38 of the telecasts on ESPNU. It was ESPN’s most extensive schedule of games and an increase over the previous high of 30 set last year.

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Six Games on ESPN2 & ESPN2 HD, 39 on ESPN3.com

The schedule of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), celebrating its 10^th Anniversary Season as the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, on ESPN platforms will include six games live in high definition on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD, and 39 on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s 24/7 broadband sports network. The schedule will include the MLL All-Star Game, one semifinal and the MLL Championship Game. 

Play by play announcer Joe Beninati and analyst Quint Kessenich (four-time Johns Hopkins All-American) will once again serve as the team for the MLL on ESPN2. Beninati will be returning for his ninth season, while Kessenich will begin his tenth season as analyst.

The 2010 national television schedule released by MLL Commissioner David Gross is highlighted by three regular-season games, as well as the MLL All-Star Game from Boston on July 8, a semifinal August 21, and the Championship Game on August 22 from Annapolis, Md., as part of Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend Presented by Warrior. 

 “Once again we are excited to work with ESPN to bring the highest level of lacrosse in HD to lacrosse fans across the country”, said MLL Commissioner David Gross. 

This summer’s MLL All-Star Game will be played July 8 at Harvard Stadium in Boston and will pit players from Team USA against the MLL All-Stars.  Team USA will use the game as preparation for this summer’s Lacrosse World Championships in Manchester, England.  During halftime of the game, stars from both teams will take place in the Bud Light Skills Competition, which will also air live. The skills include a fastest shot competition and a freestyle contest. 

The 2010 MLL television schedule kicks off on Saturday, May 22, with the defending Major League Lacrosse champion Toronto Nationals hosting the Chesapeake Bayhawks at 2 p.m. ET. Live games continue on Saturday, June 12, when the Denver Outlaws travel to Boston to take on the Cannons at 3 p.m. The final regular-season game on ESPN2 will see the Chicago Machine against the Long Island Lizards on July 3 at 3 p.m.

Schedule

ESPN2 has been the national television home of Major League Lacrosse since 2003, and in 2004 aired the New Balance Championship Game, the first live national telecast of a Major League Lacrosse competition. In 2007, Major League Lacrosse and ESPN signed a multi-year agreement, which extends their relationship through the 2016 season. 

About Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded by Jake Steinfeld and commenced play in June of 2001.  The MLL’s six teams will begin the league’s 10th season of action on May 15th, 2010.  The 2010 MLL All-Star Game will take place on Thursday, July 8th in Boston, MA at Harvard Stadium.  The season will culminate with the MLL Championship Weekend Presented by Warrior, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, August 21st and 22nd at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD. 

ESPN, Inc.

ESPN, Inc. is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of six domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU), ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPNU HD simulcast services, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (46 networks, syndication, radio, web sites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN PPV, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN3.com (Broadband), ESPN Mobile Properties, ESPN on Demand and ESPN Interactive.  Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.  The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

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Schedule Features 57 Games, Every NCAA Tournament Game in HD for First Time

ESPN’s 2010 men’s and women’s college lacrosse season -- featuring the most extensive schedule to date with 57 games, primarily on ESPNU -- will begin Friday, Feb. 19, with a regular-season matchup and conclude with the NCAA National Championship May 31.

For the first time, every NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship game will be offered in high definition through ESPNU HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPN HD. In addition, ESPNU will produce 16 regular-season games in high definition.

Overall, ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will combine to offer 42 regular-season and all 15 NCAA Tournament games. ESPNU, which will celebrate its fifth anniversary March 4, will televise the majority of the action with 40 regular-season games and every first-round and quarterfinal matchup of the men’s NCAA Tournament. Regular season schedule highlights:

•  17 of the top 20 teams ranked in the men’s Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and every team in the top 11;
• All but one of the men’s telecasts will include a team in the media poll, highlighted by 28 matchups featuring a showdown between ranked teams, including seven with both teams in the top five and 16 with teams in the top 10;
• Coverage will include all seven of the men’s programs that have won an NCAA Championship -- Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, North Carolina, Princeton, Syracuse and Virginia -- including 11 telecasts between them:
  • No. 7 Princeton vs. No. 5 Johns Hopkins Saturday, March 6, at 1:30 p.m. (ESPNU);
  • No. 1 Syracuse at No. 3 Virginia Sunday, March 7, at 1 p.m. (ESPN360.com);
  • No. 1 Syracuse at No. 5 Johns Hopkins Saturday, March 20, at 8 p.m. (ESPNU), which is a rematch of the 2007 National Championship game, won by Syracuse 13-10;
  • No. 5 Johns Hopkins at No. 3 Virginia (ESPN2) and No. 8 Maryland at No. 4 North Carolina (ESPNU) Saturday, March 27, at noon and 2 p.m., respectively;
  • No. 4 North Carolina at No. 5 Johns Hopkins (ESPNU) and No. 3 Virginia at No. 8 Maryland (ESPNU) Saturday, April 3, at noon and 8 p.m., respectively;
  • No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Virginia (ESPNU) and No. 7 Princeton vs. No. 1 Syracuse (ESPNU) Saturday, April 10, at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively;
  • No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 5 Johns Hopkins Saturday, April. 17, at 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU);
  • No. 6 Cornell at No. 7 Princeton Saturday, May 1, at 5 p.m. (ESPNU);
• Six telecasts involving two-time defending men’s National Champion Syracuse;
• This will mark the first year of a four-year exclusive agreement with the BIG EAST conference, which will begin its inaugural season formally sponsoring lacrosse. ESPNU will televise BIG EAST members No. 1 Syracuse, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 13 Georgetown and Rutgers.
• ESPNU will televise four doubleheader events:
  • The inaugural ESPNU Warrior Lacrosse Invitational, organized by ESPN Regional Television, from Rentschler Field in Hartford, Conn. April 24: No. 18 Denver vs. Fairfield at 11 a.m. and No. 17 Massachusetts vs. No. 13 Georgetown at 1:30 p.m.
  • Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on March 6: No. 2 Duke vs. No. 8 Maryland at 11 a.m. and No. 7 Princeton vs. No. 5 Johns Hopkins at 1:30 p.m.
  • Konica Minolta Big City Classic from New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on April 10: No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Virginia at 4 p.m. and No. 7 Princeton vs. No. 1 Syracuse at 6:30 p.m. This will be the first sporting event held at New Meadowlands Stadium, the new home for the NFL New York Giants and Jets.
  • Smartlink Day of Rivals from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on April 17: No. 11 Navy vs. Army at 4 p.m. and No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 5 Johns Hopkins at 6:30 p.m.
• The women’s schedule will include Towson at Johns Hopkins on Wednesday, March 10, at 4 p.m. and Ohio State at Johns Hopkins on Sunday, May 2, at noon, both on ESPNU.

For the fourth straight year, the ESPN networks will televise the entire NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship, with 2010 being the first year in which every game will be in high definition. ESPNU will televise all eight first-round and the four quarterfinal contests May 15-23. ESPN2 will televise the semifinals on May 29 while ESPN will offer the championship May 31. ESPN360.com will simulcast the semifinals and championship games. 

 Commentators

ESPN will feature the addition of top experts to a deep roster of returning knowledgeable commentators:

• Returning analysts will include Quint Kessenich (Four-Time Johns Hopkins All-American), Mark Dixon (Johns Hopkins), Jack Emmer (former Army Head Coach and the NCAA's winningest DI head coach), Matt Ward (Virginia and Tewaaraton winner) and Stephen McElduff (North Carolina).
• Play-by-play announcers will include Carter Blackburn, who will serve as the primary commentator for ESPN’s coverage; ESPN Major League Lacrosse commentator Joe Beninati; and Eamon McAnaney, who played lacrosse at Notre Dame. Sean McDonough, the voice of many top college sports on ESPN, will call the NCAA Championship semifinals and championship.
• Coverage will feature the addition analyst Jamie Munro, former head coach at Denver and assistant at Yale.

 2010 ESPNU College Lacrosse Regular-Season Schedule

*Will co-exist on WMAR-TV (ABC affiliate in Baltimore)

^Tape delay

 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU

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