Dancin’ to Dallas: ESPN Once Again Exclusive Home of March Madness Women’s Basketball

Kimberly Elchlepp

March 13, 2023

For the 28th year, ESPN returns as the exclusive home to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, with coverage tipping off on Wednesday, March 15 with the First Four. March Madness women’s basketball on ESPN platforms is presented by Capital One with matchups available on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS. Additionally, all contests will be available on the ESPN App.

The tournament culminates with the NCAA Women’s Final Four and National Championship live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas. For the first time ever, the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will be broadcast on ABC, with a full-hour pregame show preceding the action. Championship coverage on ABC will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 2.

Top-Ranked Teams Take on Tournament Coverage En Route to Texas

ESPN will deploy a duo of top-tier studio teams throughout the First Four and First and Second Rounds in Elle Duncan with Andraya Carter and Rebecca Lobo, and Kelsey Riggs with Nikki Fargas and Monica McNutt. Duncan, McNutt and Fargas will carry the torch throughout the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

First and Second Round Commentator Teams

Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck
Pam Ward and Stephanie White
Beth Mowins and Christy Thomaskutty
Eric Frede and Tamika Catchings
Tiffany Greene and Jimmy Dykes
Brenda VanLengen and Holly Warlick
Dave O’Brien and Christy Winters-Scott
Ann Schatz and Kim Adams
Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod
Sam Gore and Meghan McKeown
Kevin Fitzgerald and Andrea Lloyd
Sam Ravech and Kelly Gramlich
Jenn Hildreth and Mike Thibault
John Brickley and Aja Ellison
Angel Gray and Helen Williams

Sweet 16 and Elite Eight Commentator Teams

Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter and Holly Rowe
Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli and Angel Gray
Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck and Brooke Weisbrod
Pam Ward, Stephanie White, Andraya Carter and Holly Rowe

Final Four and Championship Commentator Team

Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter and Holly Rowe

SEC Network

SEC Now returns for postseason coverage of the eight men’s and seven women’s teams representing the Southeastern Conference in both NCAA Tournaments. Hosts Dari Nowkhah, Peter Burns and Alyssa Lang will be joined by a rotating cast of analysts throughout the two tourneys, including SEC Network studio analysts Pat Bradley, Daymeon Fishback, Ron Slay, Steffi Sorensen and Patric Young, as well as Texas A&M Women’s Basketball Head Coach Joni Taylor.

ACC Network

ACC Network’s All ACC will have postseason coverage of the ACC’s five men’s teams and eight women’s teams participating in the NCAA Tournaments. A rotating cast of ACCN’s men’s and women’s college basketball commentators will offer insight and analysis following each round throughout the tournaments. ACC PM, ACCN’s weekday afternoon show from 4-7 p.m., with hosts Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum will have daily analysis, insights and interviews with players and coaches across the league.

ESPN.com and espnW
On Sunday, ESPN.com broke down the bracket with everything fans need to know about all 68 teams. Content ahead of the first round also will include:

Ranking the top 25 players in the NCAA tournament
Previewing each region, with bold predictions for the first two rounds
Final Four picks and examine which 1-seed has the toughest path to Dallas
Alexa Philippou on everything UConn has overcome this season and how far the Huskies might go
M.A. Voepel looks at why Caitlin Clark is the most exciting player in March Madness
As her final days wearing a South Carolina uniform draw near, espnW takes a 360-degree look at Aliyah Boston’s senior season.

Additionally, ESPN.com will offer the following coverage throughout the tournament:

On-site coverage, live reaction and takeaways from each day of games
Charlie Creme will reseed the field at the conclusion of each round
Updated top 25 player rankings ahead of the Sweet 16 and Final Four
Continued coverage of South Carolina’s questfor a perfect season and back-to-back titles

2023 Tournament Challenge
Brackets for the women’s games opened on Selection Sunday. Fans can submit up to 25 brackets and join up to 10 groups each at ESPN.com/tcwomen. Fans can also complete and submit brackets on the ESPN Tournament Challenge App for iOS and Android, or on the ESPN App. Like all ESPN Fantasy games, Tournament Challenge is free to play.

The ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge saw a 76 percent year-over-year increase in 2022, part of a significant upward trend in the popularity of women’s sports and especially women’s basketball.

NCAA Division I Women’s Championship Schedule
Games available on ESPN.com and via the ESPN App here.

Date	Time (ET)	Match-Up/Commentators	Platform
FIRST FOUR
Wed, Mar 15	7 p.m.	Illinois vs. Mississippi State Jenn Hildreth, Mike Thibault	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	Southern vs. Sacred Heart Roy Philpott, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPNU
Thu, Mar 16	7 p.m.	Purdue vs. St. Johns Sam Gore, Kim Adams	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	Tennessee Tech vs. Monmouth Brenda VanLengen, Holly Warlick	ESPN2
FIRST ROUND
Fri, Mar 17	11:30 a.m.	Marquette vs. USF Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck	ESPN2
	Noon	West Virginia vs. Arizona Tiffany Greene, Jimmy Dykes	ESPN
	1:30 p.m.	Georgia vs. Florida State Dave O’Brien, Christy Winters-Scott	ESPN2
	2 p.m.	Norfolk State vs. South Carolina Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck	ESPN
	2:30 p.m.	Holy Cross vs. Maryland Tiffany Greene, Jimmy Dykes	ESPNEWS
	3 p.m.	UNLV vs. Michigan Kevin Fitzgerald, Andrea Llyod	ESPNU
	3:30 p.m.	Southern Utah vs. Notre Dame Jenn Hildreth, Mike Thibault	ESPN2
	4 p.m.	Southeastern Louisiana vs. Iowa Dave O’Brien, Christy Winters-Scott	ESPN
	5:30 p.m.	Hawaii vs. LSU Kevin Fitzgerald, Andrea Lloyd	ESPN2
	5:30 p.m.	Chattanooga vs. Virginia Tech Angel Gray, Helen Williams	ESPNU
	6 p.m.	Illinois/Mississippi State vs. Creighton Jenn Hildreth, Mike Thibault	ESPNEWS
	7:30 p.m.	Southern U/Sacred Heart vs. Stanford Roy Philpott, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPN2
	7:30 p.m.	Gardner-Webb vs. Utah Elise Woodward, Dan Hughes	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	South Dakota State vs. USC Angel Gray, Helen Williams	ESPNEWS
	10 p.m.	Princeton vs. NC State Elise Woodward, Dan Hughes	ESPN2
	10 p.m.	Gonzaga vs. Ole Miss Roy Philpott, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPNU
Sat, Mar 18	11:30 a.m.	Tennessee Tech/Monmouth vs. Indiana Brenda VanLengen, Holly Warlick	ESPN2
	1 p.m.	Saint Louis vs. Tennessee Pam Ward, Stephanie White	ABC
	1:30 p.m.	James Madison vs. Ohio State Sam Gore, Kim Adams	ESPN2
	2 p.m.	Miami vs. Oklahoma State Brenda VanLengen, Holly Warlick	ESPN
	2:30 p.m.	Florida Gulf Coast vs. Washington State John Brickley, Aja Wilson	ESPNU
	3 p.m.	Vermont vs. UConn Beth Mowins, Christy Thomaskutty	ABC
	3:30 p.m.	Toledo vs. Iowa State Pam Ward, Stephanie White	ESPN2
	4 p.m.	Purdue/St. John’s vs. North Carolina Sam Gore, Kim Adams	ESPN
	5 p.m.	Cleveland State vs. Villanova John Brickley, Aja Ellison	ESPNU
	5:30 p.m.	Alabama vs. Baylor Beth Mowins, Christy Thomaskutty	ESPN2
	7 p.m.	Middle Tennessee vs. Colorado Sam Ravech, Kelly Gramlich	ESPNEWS
	7:30 p.m.	Drake vs. Louisville Eric Frede, Tamika Catchings	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	Portland vs. Oklahoma Ann Schatz, Meghan McKeown	ESPNU
	9:30 p.m.	Iona vs. Duke Sam Ravech, Kelly Gramlich	ESPN2
	10 p.m.	East Carolina vs. Texas Eric Frede, Tamika Catchings	ESPN
	11:30 p.m.	Sacramento State vs. UCLA Ann Schatz, Meghan McKeown	ESPN2
Second Round
Sun, March 19	1 p.m.	No. 8 South Florida vs. No. 1 South Carolina Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck	ABC
	3 p.m.	No. 10 Georgia vs No. 2 Iowa Dave O’Brien, Christy Winters-Scott	ABC
	3:30 p.m.	No. 11 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame Jenn Hildreth, Mike Thibault	ESPN
	5 p.m.	No. 9 South Dakota State vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech Angel Gray, Helen Williams	ESPN2
	5:30 p.m.	No. 7 Arizona vs. No. 2 Maryland Tiffany Greene, Jimmy Dykes	ESPN
	7 p.m.	No. 10 Princeton vs. No. 2 Utah Elise Woodward, Dan Hughes	ESPN2
	7:30 p.m.	No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 3 LSU Kevin Fitzgerald, Andrea Lloyd	ESPN
	9:30 p.m.	No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 Stanford Roy Philpott, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPN
Mon, March 20	4 p.m.	No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Ohio State Sam Gore, Kim Adams	ESPN
	6 p.m.	No. 12 Toledo vs. No. 4 Tennessee Pam Ward, Stephanie White	ESPN2
	7 p.m.	No. 5 Louisville vs. 4 Texas Eric Frede, Tamika Catchings	ESPN
		No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 4 Villanova John Brickley, Aja Ellison	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	No. 9 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana Brenda VanLengen, Holly Warlick	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 2 UConn Beth Mowins, Christy Thomaskutty	ESPN
		No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 3 Duke Sam Ravech, Kelly Gramlich	ESPNU
	10 p.m.	No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 UCLA Ann Schatz, Meghan McKeown	ESPN2
Sweet 16
Fri, March 24	2:30 p.m.	No. 9 Miami vs. No. 4 Villanova Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPN
	5 p.m.	No. 3 LSU vs. No. 2 Utah Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPN
	7:30 p.m.	No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 2 Iowa Pam Ward, Stephanie Ward, Holly Rowe	ESPN
	10 p.m.	No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Louisville Pam Ward, Stephanie Ward, Holly Rowe	ESPN
Sat, March 24	11:30 a.m.	No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Maryland Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli, Angel Gray	ESPN
	2 p.m.	No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 1 South Carolina Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli, Angel Gray	ESPN
	4 p.m.	No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 UConn Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter, Holly Rowe	ABC
	6:30 pm.	No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter, Holly Rowe	ESPN2
Elite Eight
Sun, March 26	7 p.m.	Miami vs. LSU Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck, Brooke Weisbrod	ESPN
	9 p.m.	Louisville vs. Iowa Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter, Holly Rowe	ESPN
Mon, March 27	7p.m.	Maryland vs. South Carolina Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli, Angel Gray	ESPN
	9 p.m.	Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Andraya Carter, Holly Rowe	ESPN

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