SEC Network to air extensive Champ Week programming
SEC Network concludes another successful season with more than 370 regular-season games in the men's and women's basketball schedule with first, second and quarterfinal Southeastern Conference tournament games airing on the network, accompanied with a live SEC Now desk on-site throughout each tournament.
With the potential for a conference-record eight SEC teams to make the NCAA Men's Tournament, and defending national champion South Carolina and undefeated Mississippi State on a collision course for the women's crown, SEC Network will cover every angle of the action in Nashville, Tenn. and St. Louis.
Expanded Tournament action on SEC Network
The first, second and quarterfinal rounds of the SEC Women's Tournament will be televised on SEC Network. Analyst Tamika Catchings and play-by-play Courtney Lyle will team up once again to call the first round and the first two quarterfinals; Pam Ward and Gail Goestenkors will call evening games during the week, as well as the semifinals and championship game on ESPNU and ESPN2, respectively. Former Florida standout Steffi Sorensen will serve as the sideline reporter for all 13 games of the women's tournament.
The first and second rounds of the SEC Men's Tournament, as well as the evening quarterfinals, will be televised on SEC Network. Joe Tessitore will take on afternoon duties and Tom Hart will call the evening matchups through the quarterfinals. Analysts for the week are Jimmy Dykes, Sean Farnham and Jon Sundvold.
Karl Ravech and Farnham will call the second semifinal Saturday, while Ravech and Dick Vitale will team up to call the action for the first semifinal and the championship game with all three games on ESPN. Molly McGrath and Laura Rutledge will share sideline duties throughout the week on SEC Network and ESPN.
SEC Now cozies up courtside in Nashville and St. Louis
SEC Now, hosted by Maria Taylor (Wednesday - Friday afternoon) and Peter Burns (Friday evening - Sunday), gets things started for SEC Network's Champ Week coverage, as the set will be courtside at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Analysts Nell Fortner, Andy Landers, Amanda Butler and Charlie Creme will provide pre-game, halftime and post-game insights throughout the week.
SEC Now will be courtside from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. for the SEC Men's Tournament the following week. Host Dari Nowkhah and analysts Pat Bradley, Dykes, Daymeon Fishback and Antoine Walker will provide pre- and post-game coverage on SEC Network throughout the tournament.
A two-hour SEC Now: Selection Special Presented by Principal is slated for Sunday, March 11 at 8 p.m. ET from Charlotte, N.C. This year's special is hosted by Burns, who will be joined by studio analysts Bradley, Dykes and Fishback. The show will consist of reaction from team watch parties and interviews from the SEC squads selected for postseason play.
Finebaum live from the Gateway City Wednesday-Friday
The Paul Finebaum Show will be live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, airing Wednesday-Friday live on SEC Network and ESPN Radio. The show will aired in full on SEC Network on Wednesday, March 7 and Friday, March 9, and on SEC Network Alternate Thursday, March 8 with an hour of Thursday's show on SEC Network from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
SEC Network goes behind the scenes with special SEC Inside shows
Leading into the tournament, SEC Inside will showcase the season that was with SEC Inside: Season in Review Presented by Jimmy John's on Monday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m., taking fans behind the scenes and on the sidelines from the best matchups throughout the regular season. In addition, the network will air two special SEC Tournament recaps to wrap-up the action from the semifinals and finals in Nashville and St. Louis. SEC Inside: SEC Women's Tournament airs at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6 and SEC Inside: SEC Men's Tournament follows the next week at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14.