by Larry EderAgain, an exciting move by ESPN responding a truly creative move by NCAA sports management cabinet gives our sport at the college level a base from which to resonate with new fans!
ESPN expands coverage for 2015 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships
EUGENE, Ore. – ESPN will greatly expand its coverage of the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships to be held June 10-13 at historic Hayward Field in TrackTown USA.
With the new competition format adopted by the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet earlier this year, the four-day championships will feature 12 hours of television (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU) and an additional 25 hours on ESPN3, a significant increase from the previous format which totaled 11 hours of coverage.
This is the first time that the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will highlight the men’s team championship battle on one day, and the women’s national title competition on another day. Each day will showcase 14 event finals in an exciting 3 hour, 15-minute window. The men will compete on Friday night and the women take center stage on Saturday afternoon.
“The men’s and women’s team competition at the NCAA championships is always thrilling,” said Championships Director Vin Lananna. “The new format will enable us to tell those stories in the most clear and compelling manner possible. I believe we will see two of the greatest days of track and field ever staged at Hayward Field when the men’s and women’s team champions are crowned on Friday and Saturday.”
Television coverage will be anchored by Dwight Stones, Larry Rawson and Jill Montgomery. ESPN3 will feature ESPN3 Surround all four days, providing additional camera coverage, with an emphasis on field events.
“ESPN fully supports the NCAA’s decision to adopt the new format,” said ESPN director of programming and acquisitions Brent Colborne. “Every event of the championships – including the decathlon, heptathlon and all track and field events – will be covered live for the first time, which is great for the sport and its fans. We will cover the men’s and women’s championships from one location with a heightened focus on the team scoring and individual participants. The new format allows for deeper coverage of the student-athletes and the storylines.”
View the full ESPN release at http://es.pn/1DU3eIT.
Find out what the NCAA Division I coaches are saying from the USTFCCCA athttp://www.ustfccca.org/2015/
2015 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships Schedule
Date | Time (PT) | Network | Details |
Wed, June 10 | 4 – 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Men’s Semifinals |
11 a.m. – 10:45 p.m. | ESPN3 | ||
Thu, June 11 | 4 – 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Women’s Semifinals |
10 a. | ESPN3 | ||
Fri, June 12 | 4:30 – 7 p.m. | ESPN | Men’s Championships |
4 – 7:15 p.m. | ESPN3 | ||
Sat, June 13 | 2 – 4:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | Women’s Championships |
1:30 – 4:45 p.m. | ESPN3 |
About TrackTown USA:
TrackTown USA, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to setting a standard of excellence in the sports of track and field and running by hosting premier events, creating a supportive environment for elite athletic performances, improving facilities, being a leader in sustainability and inspiring the next generation of track and field athletes and fans. The organization is responsible for organizing the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, the 2015 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships, the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials–Track & Field and the 2021 IAAF World Championships.
