Courtesy: USA Water Polo
Irvine, CA – April 24, 2023 – USA Water Polo, in collaboration with the NCAA and ESPN, is excited to once again present LIVE coverage of the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship final in 2023. The biggest prize in college water polo will be decided at the Chris Kjeldsen Pool on campus at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA live on ESPNU and ESPN+ on May 14 at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
Outside of the United States, water polo fans will be able to watch the telecast on ESPN networks and digital platforms in parts of Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and via syndication on non-ESPN networks in additional European countries, and via the TSN+ direct-to-consumer streaming service in Canada.
The field for the 2023 NCAA Tournament won’t be set until May 1, but it will feature nine teams from around the country including three at-large bids and automatic qualifiers from six conferences, including: Big West, CWPA, GCC, MAAC, MPSF, and WWPA. Stanford University won the 2022 Championship, defeating USC last spring in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“This is beginning to be my favorite time of the year. I can’t express how exciting it is to have water polo on a major network throughout the entire country. Water polo brings so much joy to everyone in its community and I hope this broadcast helps in the growth of the sport by sparking some interest in fans from all walks of life. I would like to thank the college water polo coaching association leadership, USA Water Polo, ESPN and the NCAA for making this broadcast happen. There has been so much parity in our sport this season! The growth in our college system is there and I can’t wait to see it unfold on ESPN in a couple of weeks,” said Chris Vidale, Marist College Head Coach & NCAA Women’s Water Polo Committee Chair.
“This nationally televised broadcast is a continued call for the investment in women’s collegiate Olympic sports. Regardless of which teams make it to the final there will be a direct correlation to the best players and teams in the world. The collaboration between USAWP, the NCAA, the ACWPC and the entire water polo community is evidence that we can achieve more together for the greater cause. We look forward to seeing people make the road trip to Stockton and even more people tuning in live,” said John Abdou, executive director of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.
Returning to call the final will be four-time Olympic medalist and USA Water Polo Hall of Famer Brenda Villa (analyst) joined by Greg Mescall (play-by-play) poolside from the University of the Pacific.
In April 2022, USA Water Polo, ESPN and the NCAA reached a new agreement that brought the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship back to national television for the first time in more than a decade. The multi-year commitment, which also includes the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship in the fall, continues through 2023-24.
For more information on the NCAA Championship, visit ncaa.com/sports/waterpolo-women and be sure to follow USA Water Polo on social media (@USAWP) for updates on the matchup and broadcast coverage closer to the event.
