NEWS RELERSE EBPN, INC. COMMUNICRTIONS DEPORTMENT ESPN PLRZn, BRISTOL, CT OSOtQ-7ASA (BCD) 7GS-2DDO THE WORLDWIDE LEADER IN SPORTS For Immediate Release March 24, 2005 EXTENSIVE REGULAR-SEASON COLLEGE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL COVERAGE ON ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPNU AT LEAST 44 GAMES FROM APRIL TO MAY ESPNU, a new 24-hour college sports network, along with ESPN and ESPN2, will televise at least 44 regular-season college baseball and softball games from April 8 to May 22. Baseball coverage will begin with a three-game series pitting #4 Texas at #16 Nebraska: Friday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU); Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. (ESPN) and Sunday, April 10 at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN). On the same weekend, #2 Arizona will kick off the softball schedule with three home games: against #16 Oregon State (Friday at 10:30 p.m. on ESPNU) and Oregon (Saturday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 and Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPNU). Early schedule highlights: • Of the 44 regular-season telecasts, 20 will be aired on ESPNU, 16 on ESPN2 and eight on ESPN. • Coverage will feature six of the top eight-ranked baseball teams: #1 Cal State Fullerton, #2 Tulane, #3 LSU, #4 Texas, #7 Miami and #8 Georgia Tech. • ESPN2 will televise defending College World Series champion #1 Cal State Fullerton at home against San Diego State, coached by former San Diego Padres All-Star Tony Gwynn, Tuesday, May 3 at 8 p.m. • Third-ranked LSU will visit #2 Tulane in a showdown between two of baseball's biggest rivals Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. • Baseball's #4 Texas - a participant of last year's College World Series championship - will be featured in games against #15 Texas A&M, #16 Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas. • Coverage will include several top players including #16 Nebraska's junior third baseman Alex Gordon, Baseball America's top college prospect for the 2005 draft. • The schedule will include five of last year's College World Series teams (#1 Cal State Fullerton, #3 LSU, #4 Texas, #7 Miami and #13 Arizona) and five of last year's Women's College World Series participants (#3 California, #5 Stanford, #7 UCLA, #7 Oklahoma and #16 Washington). • Six of the top eight-ranked softball teams will be featured: #2 Arizona, #3 California, #5 Stanford, #6 Texas and Oklahoma and UCLA (both tied at #7). • Coverage will include defending Women's College World Series champion #7 UCLA against #2 Arizona, #3 California and #5 Stanford. • ESPNU will televise a rematch of last year's Women's College World Series title game when #3 California visits #7 UCLA Friday, April 29 at 4 p.m. • Every softball telecast will include at least one ranked team. Twelve of the matchups will feature a showdown between ranked teams. "College baseball and softball have emerged in recent years and our growing coverage reflects that," said Burke Magnus, vice president and general manager ESPNU. "With the addition of ESPNU, our networks have the most extensive college baseball and softball lineup on television. We will provide fans with a consistent schedule of action from April through the crowning of their national champions." ESPN.COM ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPNU COLLEGE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SCHEDULE Date Time (E~Q Teams/Commentators Network Fri., April 8 7:30 p.m. #4 Texas at #16 Nebraska ESPNU 10:30 p.m #16 Oregon State at #2 Arizona (softball) ESPNU Sat., April 9 2 p.m. #4 Texas at #16 Nebraska ESPN 9 p.m. Oregon at #2 Arizona (softball) ESPN2 Sun., April 10 2:30 p.m. #4 Texas at #16 Nebraska ESPN 4 p.m. Oregon at #2 Arizona (softball) ESPNU Fri., April 15 4 p.m. #7 Miami at #17 North Carolina ESPNU 7 p.m. Oklahoma at #4 Texas ESPNU 10 p.m.* #19 Arizona State at #7 UCLA (softball) ESPNU Sat., April 16 5 p.m. #2 Arizona at #7 UCLA (softball) ESPNU 7 p.m. #7 Miami at #17 North Carolina ESPN2 Sun., April 17 1 p.m. Oklahoma at #4 Texas ESPN2 4 p.m. #2 Arizona at #7 UCLA (softball) ESPN 4 p.m.* #7 Miami at #17 North Carolina ESPNU Tue., April 19 7 p.m. #3 LSU at #2 Tulane ESPN2 Sun., April 24 1 p.m. #4 Texas at Oklahoma State ESPN2 4 p.m. Iowa State at #6 Texas (softball) ESPN2 Tue, April 26 8 p.m. Oklahoma at #22 Wichita State ESPN2 Wed., April 27 8 p.m. #16 Nebraska at #22 Wichita State ESPNU Thu., April 28 7 p.m. #16 Nebraska at Oklahoma ESPN Fri., April 29 4 p.m. #3 California at #7 UCLA (softball) ESPNU 7 p.m. #16 Nebraska at Oklahoma ESPNL" 10 p.m. #21 USC at #13 Arizona ESPNU Sat., April 30 12 p.m. #18 Nebraska at #7 Oklahoma (softball) ESPN2 2 p.m. #16 Nebraska at Oklahoma ESPNU 9 p.m.* #5 Stanford at #7 UCLA (softball) ESPN2 Sun, May 1 2 p.m. #18 Nebraska at #7 Oklahoma (softball) ESPNU 3:30 p.m. #21 USC at #13 Arizona ESPN 10 p.m.* #5 Stanford at #7 UCLA (softball) ESPN2 Tue., May 3 8 p.m. San Diego State at #1 Cal State Fullerton ESPN2 Fri., May 6 7 p.m. #4 Texas at Kansas ESPNU 10 p.m. #7 UCLA at #2 Arizona (softball) ESPNU Sat., May 7 7 p.m. #16 Washington at #2 Arizona (softball) ESPN2 7 p.m. #4 Texas at Kansas ESPNU Sun., May 8 4 p.m. #16 Washington at #2 Arizona (softball) ESPN 7 p.m.* #4 Texas at Kansas ESPN2 Tue., May 10 8 p.m. Houston at #15 Texas A&M ESPN2 Fri., May 13 7 p.m. #15 Texas A&M at #11 Baylor ESPN2 Sat., May 14 8 p.m. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State ESPNU Sun., May 15 3 p.m. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State ESPN Thu., May 19 7 p.m. #8 Georgia Tech at #17 North Carolina ESPN2 Fri., May 20 7 p.m. #8 Georgia Tech at #17 North Carolina ESPNU Sat., May 21 5 p.m. #8 Georgia Tech at #17 North Carolina ESPNU Sun., May 22 1 p.m. #15 Texas A&M at #4 Texas ESPN * Same-day delay All baseball rankings are from ESPN/Sporfs Weekly Top 25 Coaches All softball rankings are from USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 Schedule subject to change; All times Eastern ADDITIONAL REGIONAL AND SUPER REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON ESPNU ESPNU will also supplement ESPN and ESPN2's baseball regional and super regional and softbali super regional coverage with additional game telecasts from those NCAA Championships leading up to the Men's and Women's College World Series. For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ESPN2 will televise every game of the College World Series (up to 17 games from June 17-27) and the fourth straight year of every Women's College World Series matchup (up to 17 games from June 2-8). ESPNU The ESPNU schedule will feature approximately 300 live events (regular-season and championships) in the network's first year. Action will include a variety of top football and men's and women's basketball mixed with baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, wrestling and more. ESPNU will also offer comprehensive studio programming, replays of ABC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television games, plus specials and more. ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with DIRECTV, Adelphia, several smaller affiliates and is close to distribution agreements with others. The 24-hour television network is the key component of the multi-media ESPNU initiative that will deliver college sports content across ESPN's family of services, such as ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Mobile (wireless), ESPN Radio, ESPN Interactive, ESPN360 (broadband), merchandising and more. Original Dream Job winner Mike Hall serves as ESPNU's signature anchor, hosting the majority of the network's studio programming from Charlotte, N.C., headquarters of ESPN Regional Television (ERT), which handles production responsibilities for ESPNU. -30- Contact: Michael Humes at (860) 766-2233; [email protected].