ESPN’s College Gameday is tacking on two extra hours for Michigan/Ohio State next week. In other news, the national championship of women’s basketball will have an earlier start next week, and Premier Boxing Champions will return to its many broadcast partners next year.
CFB: College Gameday (7 AM-Noon ET, November 26)
- ESPN will air an expanded five-hour edition of College Gameday live from Columbus, OH, for next Saturday’s matchup between Michigan and Ohio State. Coverage will begin at 7 AM ET. It will almost certainly be the longest edition of Gameday, which typically lasts for three hours. (247 Sports, 11/19)
NCAAWB: National Championship (6 PM ET, April 2)
- The NCAA women’s basketball national championship game, which is airing on a Sunday for the first time since 2002, will take place at 6 PM ET April 2 to accommodate ESPN’s MLB Opening Night coverage. The 6 PM start will be the earliest for the title game since 1995, the last time it aired on CBS (3:30 PM). Only one other time over that span, 1996, has it aired prior to 8 PM. In related news, both of the national semifinals on Friday, March 31, will air on ESPN2 due to NBA commitments on ESPN. (ESPN)
Premier Boxing Champions (Various networks and times, 2017)
- Premier Boxing Champions will return to each of its broadcast partners next year, including three primetime cards apiece on NBC and FOX and nearly 40 windows combined on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN, the series announced late last month. The news came after some speculation that the PBC might be on the wane, fueled by a light fall schedule that has included just one event in the past two months. The PBC has relationships with NBC Sports, Fox Sports, ESPN, CBS/Showtime, Spike TV and Bounce TV. (premierboxingchampions.com, 10/26)
