Feb. 26, 2009

BRISTOL, CONN. - ESPN will offer an unprecedented amount of college lacrosse games in high definition this season, which will include 18 telecasts on ESPNU HD, four on ESPN2 HD and one on ESPN HD, for a total of 23. The University of North Carolina will have a program-high four games nationally televised this year on the ESPN family of networks.

With the addition of ESPNU HD (launched in August 2008), this will be the first time ESPN has presented a full schedule of regular-season college lacrosse games in high definition.

The HD schedule will feature 12 regular-season games and 11 NCAA Division I Men's Tournament contests, beginning on ESPNU HD this Saturday, Feb. 28, with the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic. The doubleheader will showcase #11 Princeton vs. #3 Johns Hopkins (noon) and #12 Duke vs. #7 Maryland (2 p.m.) from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Other regular-season action in high definition will feature the Big City Classic on April 4 that will showcase #4 North Carolina vs. #1 Virginia (noon) and #2 Syracuse vs. #11 Princeton (2 p.m.) from Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Other highlights will include the inaugural Day of Rivals -- Army vs. #10 Navy and #7 Maryland vs. #3 Johns Hopkins on Saturday, Apr. 11, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

North Carolina's games with Duke, Maryland, Johns Hopkins and Virginia will all be shown on ESPNU this year.

In addition, for the third year in a row, the ESPN networks will televise the complete NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship. ESPNU will televise four of the eight First Round games in HD, as well as every Quarterfinal contest (May 10 - May 17). ESPN2 HD will televise the National Semifinals (May 23) and ESPN HD will offer the National Championship game on May 25.

The entire ESPN college lacrosse schedule consists of 45 games, including 30 regular-season contests and 15 NCAA Tournament games across ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com.

2009 COLLEGE LACROSSE HD SCHEDULE
Date Network Time (ET) Game
Sat. Feb. 28 ESPNU HD 12 p.m. Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic: Princeton vs. Johns Hopkins
ESPNU HD 2 p.m. Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic: Duke vs. Maryland
Sat., Mar. 7 ESPNU HD 12 p.m. Hofstra at Johns Hopkins
Sat., Mar. 14 ESPNU HD 2 p.m. Duke at North Carolina
Sat., Mar. 21 ESPNU HD 2 p.m. North Carolina at Maryland
Sat., Mar. 28 ESPN2 HD 12 p.m. Maryland at Virginia
ESPNU HD 2 p.m. Johns Hopkins at North Carolina
Sat. Apr. 4 ESPNU HD 12 p.m. Big City Classic: North Carolina vs. Virginia
ESPNU HD 2 p.m. Big City Classic: Syracuse vs. Princeton
Sat., Apr. 11 ESPNU HD 11:30 a.m. Day of Rivals: Army vs. Navy
ESPNU HD 1:30 p.m. Day of Rivals: Johns Hopkins vs. Maryland
ESPN2 HD 4 p.m. Virginia at Duke
Sat., May 9 ESPNU HD TBD NCAA First Round Game
ESPNU HD TBD NCAA First Round Game
Sun., May 10 ESPNU HD TBD NCAA First Round Game
ESPNU HD TBD NCAA First Round Game
Sat., May 16 ESPNU HD/ESPN2 12 p.m. Quarterfinal # 1 - Annapolis, Md.
ESPNU HD 2 p.m. Quarterfinal #2 - Annapolis, Md.
Sun., May 17 ESPNU HD 12 p.m. Quarterfinal #3 - Ithaca, N.Y.
ESPNU HD 2 p.m. Quarterfinal #4 - Ithaca, N.Y.
Sat., May 23 ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com 12 p.m. Semifinal #1 - Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.)
ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com 2:30 p.m. Semifinal #2 - Gillette Stadium
Mon., May 25 ESPN HD/ESPN360.com 1 p.m. NCAA National Championship - Gillette Stadium