Irvine, CA – April 24, 2023 – USA
Water Polo, in collaboration with the NCAA and ESPN, is excited to once again
present LIVE coverage of the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship final in
2023. The biggest prize in college water polo will be decided at the Chris
Kjeldsen Pool on campus at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA live
on ESPNU and ESPN+ on May 14 at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
Outside of the United States, water
polo fans will be able to watch the telecast on ESPN networks and digital
platforms in parts of Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia/New Zealand,
Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and via syndication on non-ESPN
networks in additional European countries, and via the TSN+ direct-to-consumer
streaming service in Canada.
The field for the 2023 NCAA
Tournament won't be set until May 1, but it will feature nine teams from around
the country including three at-large bids and automatic qualifiers from six
conferences, including: Big West, CWPA, GCC, MAAC, MPSF, and WWPA. Stanford
University won the 2022 Championship, defeating USC last spring in Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
"This is beginning to be my
favorite time of the year. I can't express how exciting it is to have water
polo on a major network throughout the entire country. Water polo brings so
much joy to everyone in its community and I hope this broadcast helps in the
growth of the sport by sparking some interest in fans from all walks of life. I
would like to thank the college water polo coaching association leadership, USA
Water Polo, ESPN and the NCAA for making this broadcast happen. There has been
so much parity in our sport this season! The growth in our college system is
there and I can't wait to see it unfold on ESPN in a couple of weeks,"
said Chris Vidale, Marist College Head Coach & NCAA Women's Water Polo
Committee Chair.
"This nationally televised
broadcast is a continued call for the investment in women's collegiate Olympic
sports. Regardless of which teams make it to the final there will be a direct
correlation to the best players and teams in the world. The collaboration
between USAWP, the NCAA, the ACWPC and the entire water polo community is
evidence that we can achieve more together for the greater cause. We look
forward to seeing people make the road trip to Stockton and even more people
tuning in live," said John Abdou, executive director of the Association of
Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.
Returning to call the final will be
four-time Olympic medalist and USA Water Polo Hall of Famer Brenda Villa
(analyst) joined by Greg Mescall (play-by-play) poolside from the University of
the Pacific.
In April 2022, USA Water Polo, ESPN
and the NCAA reached a new agreement that brought the NCAA Women's Water Polo
Championship back to national television for the first time in more than a
decade. The multi-year commitment, which also includes the NCAA Men's Water Polo
Championship in the fall, continues through 2023-24.
For more information on the NCAA
Championship, visit ncaa.com/sports/waterpolo-women and be sure to follow USA
Water Polo on social media (@USAWP) for updates on the matchup and broadcast
coverage closer to the event.
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc., is the national
governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic
program as well as 20 championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and
Masters National Championships. With more than 50,000 members, USAWP also is
the sanctioning authority for more than 500 member clubs and more than 400
tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport
throughout the U.S., fostering grass-roots expansion while providing a national
system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches, and officials. For more
information, visit www.usawaterpolo.org.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports
streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events,
original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks and
exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched
in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign
up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com,
ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).
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