7/27 – Brackets Announced for 2012 ESPN Regional Television Early-Season Basketball

ESPN Regional Television’s (ERT) 2012 early-season tournaments will be shown across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 – beginning November 15, 16 & 18 with the Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant and Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Teams will compete at the Anaheim Classic and Old Spice Classic Thanksgiving Week – November 22, 23 & 25 and the tournament action concludes with the Diamond Head Classic over Christmas – December 22, 23 & 25.

A minimum of 28 games will air on ESPNU and 18 on ESPN2, while ESPN3 will be the home to 12 tournament games. All games will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com and through smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. The on-site games from Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant and Old Spice Classic will air on ESPN3D.

The early-season men’s basketball tournaments, beginning in mid-November and running through the Christmas holiday, are owned and operated by ERT, a subsidiary of ESPN. The events are held at destination sites with family-friendly activities surrounding the tournaments and arenas.

The five multi-day, destination events consist of a bracket-format tournament and will feature 12 games over three days. The teams compete once per day, advancing with a victory. The two remaining undefeated teams will face off in a championship game.

Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant – Nov. 15, 16 & 18

The Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant, held at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., will include Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Colorado, Dayton, Murray State and St. John’s. Full Bracket

• ESPN3 will have six exclusive games and ESPNU will air five
• The Championship Game will be shown Sunday, Nov. 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• All games will be available through WatchESPN and also air on ESPN3D
• In ESPN.com’s early men’s preseason top 25 poll, Baylor is ranked

No. 11

• Baylor and Colorado faced off in the 2012 NCAA Championship third round, with the third-seeded Bears ultimately advancing to the Elite Eight
• Murray State was a No. 6 seed, advancing to the NCAA third round, while Dayton earned an NIT berth
• Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Charleston Classic website

Puerto Rico Tip-Off – Nov. 15, 16 & 18

The Puerto Rico Tip-Off, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will host Akron, Massachusetts, UNC Asheville, NC State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Providence and Tennessee. Full Bracket

• A minimum of six games will air on ESPNU, two on ESPN2, including the Championship Game on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. ET
• ESPN3 will have the three remaining games and the entire tournament will be available through WatchESPN
• In an ESPN.com early men’s preseason top 25 poll has NC State ranked No. 6
• Five of the seven teams competing in the field earned 2012 postseason berths
• Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Puerto Rico Tip-Off website

Anaheim Classic – Nov. 22, 23 & 25

The Anaheim Classic, played at the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center, adjacent to Disneyland, will field Cal, Drake, Drexel, Georgia Tech, Pacific, Rice, Saint Mary’s and Xavier. Full Bracket

• ESPNU will carry six of the tournament games, while ESPN2 will air five, including the Championship Game on Sunday, Nov. 25, at 9 p.m. ET
• ESPN3 will have the one remaining game and the entire tournament will be available through WatchESPN
• Six of the eight teams advanced to 2012 postseason play, including Cal, Saint Mary’s and Xavier in the NCAA Championship
• Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Anaheim Classic website

Old Spice Classic – Nov. 22, 23 & 25

The Old Spice Classic, held at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla., will feature Clemson, Davidson, Gonzaga, Marist, Oklahoma, UTEP, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.Full Bracket

• ESPN2 will carry seven of the tournament games, including all four first-round games and the Championship Game on Sunday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. ET
• ESPNU will air three and ESPN and ESPN3 will each have one game
• The entire tournament will be available through WatchESPN
• All 12 games will air on ESPN3D
• In an ESPN.com early men’s preseason top 25 poll, Gonzaga is ranked No. 20
• Four of the eight teams earned 2012 NCAA Championship berths
• Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Old Spice Classic website

Diamond Head Classic – Dec. 22, 23 & 25

The Diamond Head Classic, played at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, will host tournament host Hawaii, plus Arizona, East Tennessee State, Indiana State, Miami (FL), Ole Miss, San Diego State and San Francisco. Full Bracket

• ESPNU will carry eight of the tournament games, including all four first-round games
• ESPN2 will air the third-place game and the Championship Game on Tuesday, Dec. 25, along with the one of the semifinals on Sunday, Dec. 23
• ESPN3 will have one game and the entire tournament will be available through WatchESPN
• San Diego State is ranked No. 16 and Arizona stands at No. 17 in ESPN.com’s early men’s preseason top 25 poll
• Six of the eight teams grabbed 2012 postseason berths
• Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Diamond Head Classic website

ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership
The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 1,200 sporting events. Content includes action from NCAA football, basketball and Olympic sports, NHRA and professional and amateur golf, accounting for more than 3,400 live and/or original hours of programming. ERT’s owned and operated events reach over a million fans a year and provides more than 200 additional hours of programming.

In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (SEC, BIG EAST, Big 12,Mid-American, WAC) and manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several sporting events:

Collegiate Football

BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.); Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg; Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MAACO Bowl Las Vegas; Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque);MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Houston); Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu) and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards

Collegiate Basketball

Anaheim Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant (S.C.); Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Classic (Madison Square Garden); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); BracketBusters  and State Farm Champions Classic (Georgia Dome, Atlanta)

Collegiate Lacrosse

ESPNU Warrior Classic

Additional Events

ESPN National Golf Challenge

For more information, visit ESPNPlus.com.

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