Tournament Time on ESPN.com, ESPN Digital Media

- Tournament Challenge Games, Mobile Bracket Management, Alerts
- Integration with Selection Sunday, Selection Monday Telecasts
- Complete Editorial Coverage

March 4, 2008 -- Sign-ups have begun on ESPN.com for the 13th annual ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge Presented by State Farm and Sprint and will begin March 10 for the 11th annual ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge. Last year more than 1.5 million fans completed more than 3.3 million entries, prognosticating the outcomes of the men’s and women’s tournaments. At the peak of last year’s sign-ups, fans registered more than 12,490 brackets per minute on ESPN.com.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Tournament Challenge games are free and allow entrants to complete and submit up to ten entries. Fans complete and submit a bracket of forecasted tournament game outcomes and points are awarded for each correct pick, with point values increasing as the Tournaments progress.

Also, for the first time fans will be able to complete, submit and follow their ESPN Tournament Challenge entries via their mobile phone. Tournament Challenge players will be able to make – and track - picks from the ESPN MVP on Verizon Wireless, as well as via ESPN’s industry-leading mobile Web site. Fans will also be able to receive customized mobile alerts for their bracket picks and teams, as well as track the picks of ESPN writers, analysts and on-air talent.

At the end of the Tournament the Men’s Tournament Challenge entrant with the most points wins $10,000. In addition, one contestant will be randomly selected from all entries and will receive a $5,000 Circuit City gift card and a $500 gift certificate to ESPNShop.com. The Women’s Tournament Challenge winner will receive $5,000 Circuit City gift card and a $500 gift certificate to ESPNShop.com, and the runner-up will receive $1,000 Circuit City gift card and a $250 gift certificate to ESPNShop.com. Entries for the Men’s Tournament Challenge game will be accepted until just prior to the tip-off of the Tournament’s first game on Thursday, March 20. The Women’s Tournament Challenge will accept registration until just prior to tip-off of the first game on Saturday, March 22.

Selection Sunday and Monday

On both Selection Sunday (Men’s) and Selection Monday (Women’s), ESPN.com will integrate with ESPN’s television coverage, providing dynamically updated “National Bracket” information that reflects the real-time collective tournament predictions of sports fans nationwide. Within minutes of team selections, complete brackets will be available, along with profiles of all 65 teams, breakdowns of each regional by ESPN.com’s Andy Katz, interactive polls, and a special NCAA Tournament edition of Pat Forde's "Forde Minutes" column.

Additionally, ESPN.com and ESPN’s mobile initiatives will also deliver in-depth coverage and interaction leading up to, and straight through, both Selection Sunday and Selection Monday. Coverage includes:

Selection Sunday

* Bracketology: Fans can consult the original “Bracketologist” Joe Lunardi in the Bracketology section of ESPN.com. Each year, Lunardi breaks down the Tournament hopefuls, maintains a constantly changing bracket of potential seedings, and provides analysis. In the past eight seasons, Lunardi has missed only 10 teams in his final projections.
* Bubble Watch: ESPN.com’s special section returns and examines the up-and-down fortunes of teams on the bubble, trying to earn a tournament bid.
* News, Information, Analysis: ESPN.com’s Katz, Forde, Dana O’Neil and Kyle Whelliston, , along with ESPN’s Dick Vitale, Fran Fraschilla and Jay Bilas provide news, insight, analysis and commentary on the latest developments in college hoops.
* Online Video: ESPN.com will feature extensive online video from ESPN studio programs and analysis from ESPN experts.
* ESPN Podcasts: ESPN’s Podcenter and the Apple iTunes Store will feature the ESPNU College Basketball Insider podcast throughout the tournament;
* Mobile Video: ESPN MVP on Verizon Wireless will feature exclusive video on teams to watch, potential busts and expert analysis featuring ESPN personalities. ESPN Mobile Television (available via MediaFlo and MobiTV) will feature College GameDay segments and will offer individual team capsules.
* College Hoops Blogs: ESPN.com blogs maintained and updated regularly by Bilas, Katz and other ESPN experts.
* Live Chat: ESPN’s SportsNation’s live chat will give fans the floor from 5 – 8 p.m. ET on Selection Sunday, to consult analysts and experts and add to the nationwide dialogue and debate.
* Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Tournament Guide: Exclusive to ESPN.com, the online guide offers more than 100 pages of insight and analysis, including in-depth statistics, for all 65 teams.
* Matchup simulations: Accuscore statistical game simulations on ESPN.com will forecast the outcome of every tournament game, with each result based on the average outcome for 10,000 game simulations.
* ESPN WAP: ESPN’s industry-leading wireless Web site will have special featured sections on each bracket region and a bracket tips and insights section.

Selection Monday

* Team-by-team breakdown of all 64 teams by Beth Mowins, Mechelle Voepel and Graham Hays;
* Bracketology predictions and break downs from Charlie Crème throughout Championship Week and through selection Monday;
* Live chats with tournament selection chair Judy Southard (9:30 p.m. ET, on Selection Monday), Crème, and other notable guests;
* Expert analysis from Lieberman, Mowins, Crème and Voepel, including their picks on the toughest region, best first-round game, Final Four and more.

Tournament Challenge games

Men’s - games.espn.com/tcmen

Women’s - games.espn.com/tcwomen

ESPNU.com

espnu.com

Bracketology

sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

Source: ESPN

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