ESPN’s NCAA Winter Championships: Olympic Gold Medalist Dan O’Brien Joins ESPN’s Track and Field Coverage

- 11 NCAA Winter Championships
- Comprehensive Coverage of Women’s Basketball, Men’s Ice Hockey, Wrestling and Women’s Gymnastics
- Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s and Women’s Fencing, Women’s Bowling Live
ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of 11 NCAA Winter Championships beginning Friday, March 9, and continuing into April. The Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships (March 9-11) will be streamed on ESPN3 and then aired on ESPN2. Women’s (March 16-17 & 25) and Men’s (March 23-24 & April 1) Swimming and Diving, and the Men’s and Women’s Fencing Championship (March 23, 25 & April 4) will all be streamed live and then be aired on ESPNU. The Women’s Bowling Championship airs on ESPNU (April 14) and re-airs on ESPN2 (April 15)
The Women’s Basketball Championship, along with Men’s Ice Hockey, Wrestling, and Women’s Gymnastics Championships will be carried across ESPN networks, with details announced in the coming days. All 11 Championships are available on the ESPN App
Dan O’Brien Makes Debut on ESPN NCAA Championship Coverage
Olympic gold medalist Dan O’Brien joins ESPN’s collegiate track & field coverage this season, teaming up in the booth with Dwight Stones and Larry Rawson in College Station for the Indoor Track and Field Championship
“I’m thrilled to join the ESPN announcing team, especially because I can’t remember an indoor season like this year that has produced so many great marks,” O’Brien said. “I know we’ll see fantastic performances and I think the NCAA meet could be the best indoor meet this year. You always know you’re watching the future stars of the sport at NCAAs, and that couldn’t be more true this year.”
O’Brien is a three-time IAAF World Championships gold medalist in the decathlon (1991, 93, 95) and the 1996 Olympic champion in the event at the Atlanta Olympic Games. The former world record holder, O’Brien has served as a television commentator for several years and was recently the subject of the first 30-for-30 Podcast, “The Trials of Dan and Dave.”
“We’re excited to have Dan O’Brien join our announcing team,” said ESPN senior coordinating producer Shawn Murphy. “We think the fans will enjoy the experience and versatility he brings to the shows as an Olympic & world decathlon champion.
Indoor Track and Field Events to Watch:
- Women’s 400m: Sydney McLaughlin (Univ. of Kentucky) vs. Lynna Irby (Univ. of Georgia) – a showdown that started as junior athletes and has continued into the collegiate track & field season, expect these two to battle for the world junior record and the NCAA crown
- Women’s Triple Jump: NCAA and American record holder Keturah Orji (Univ. of Georgia) looks to claim her sixth NCAA title. The senior is a 2016 Rio Olympian, a two-time USATF champion and veteran of several national teams
- Men’s 60m Hurdles: NCAA record holder Grant Holloway (Univ. of Florida) is in a league of his own and will look to defend his NCAA Indoor title in the event
Additional NCAA Championships:
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Fencing Championships – from University Park, Pennsylvania
Commentators: JB Long, Gerek Meinhart and Iris Zimmerman
What to Watch For:
- Individual: Coverage of both the men’s and women’s epee, foil and saber events.
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships – from Minneapolis, Minnesota (Men) and Columbus, Ohio (Women)
Commentators: Rich Burke, Rowdy Gaines, Cynthia Potter and Danielle Trotta
What to Watch For:
- Stanford currently No. 1 in both men’s and women’s poll
- Olympic medalists Katie Ledecky expected to compete for Stanford
NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship – from St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Dave Armstrong and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
What to Watch For:
- Nebraska seeks its sixth national championship since 2004; McKendree looks to defend its title
2018 NCAA Winter Championships Programming Schedule
Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
Fri, March 9 | 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships: Day 1 | ESPN3 |
Sat, March 10 | 5 p.m. | NCAA Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships: Day 2 | ESPN3 |
Sun, March 11 | 7 p.m. | NCAA Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships: Championship* | ESPN2 |
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
Fri, March 16 | 5 p.m. | NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship: Day 3 | ESPNU |
Sat, March 17 | 6 p.m. | NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship: Day 4 | ESPN3 |
Sun, March 25 | 4 p.m. | NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship: Championship* | ESPNU |
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
Fri, March 23 | 6 p.m. | NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship: Day 3 | ESPN3 |
Sat, March 24 | 6 p.m. | NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship: Day 4 | ESPN3 |
Sun, April 1 | 2 p.m. | NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship: Championships* | ESPNU |
Men’s and Women’s Fencing
Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
Fri, March 23 | 1:30 p.m. | NCAA Fencing Championships: Women’s Semifinals & Final | ESPN3 |
Sun, March 25 | 1:30 p.m. | NCAA Fencing Championships: Men’s Semifinals & Final | ESPN3 |
Wed, April 4 | 1 p.m. | NCAA Fencing Championship: Men’s and Women’s Championships* | ESPNU |
Women’s Bowling
Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
Sat, April 14 | 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship | ESPNU |
Sun, April 15 | 7 p.m. | NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship* | ESPN2 |
*Re-air of the championship
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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [email protected] and @DerekVolner