TELESIDE, U.S.A. — The schedule for the first round of the NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse tournament was released this week, and with it, some interesting games.
And with them, two hopeful signs of progress in terms of the marketing of the sport in America.
Time was, the first-round games were all at set times — usually 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. if they were doubleheaders. And the first-round TV/streaming coverage was usually governed by the host institution. If it was a Big Ten school, it would be on Big Ten Plus. If it was a CAA school, it would be on Flo Sports. If it was on the ACC, it would be on ESPN Plus, the ACC Network, or ACC Network Extra.
This year, however, you look at the 13 games, and they are spread out all across the afternoon. Maryland-Robert Morris starts off at noon, and the game action ends with Florida-North Carolina, a game which starts at 6 p.m. This allows high-school players to see some of the afternoon games after school, and you aren’t bouncing from one game to another on your screen.
But most importantly, ESPN is broadcasting each and every one of these games. It is the main rightsholder to the Division I women’s lacrosse tournament, and is exercising that right to great effect this year with staffing all 13 games.
It’s about time.
And it should be a great weekend as the Division I tournament begins anew.
