ESPN to Increase Youth Sports Coverage on Cable, Streaming Beginning Next Week
A variety of youth sporting events will come to the ESPN family of networks this summer thanks to an increased partnership between GEICO’s Summer Series and the worldwide leader in sports. Beginning next week, ESPN will provide live national coverage of elite youth sports with the GEICO Summer Series, including boys baseball, boys and girls basketball, and lacrosse. Each of the four events will either air on ESPNU or stream live on ESPN+.
GEICO High School Baseball National Championship
The GEICO High School Baseball National Championship features eight elite baseball teams chosen to represent the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and Texas.
The eight teams will play 15 total games over five days. All pool-play games will be on ESPN+, while the second semifinal and championship game will air live on ESPNU.
2022 GEICO High School Baseball National Championship Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon.-Wed, June 27-29 | 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. | Pool-Play Games | ESPN+ |
| Thu, Jun 30 | 5 p.m. | Semifinal #1 | ESPN+ |
| 8 p.m. | Semifinal #2 | ESPNU | |
| Fri, July 1 | 8. p.m. | Championship | ESPNU |
Nike National High School Lacrosse Showcase
Starting on June 30, GEICO will also showcase the Nike National High School Lacrosse Showcase. The entire event will air on ESPNU over a two-day span. The cable channel will air one boys and one girls pool-play game, a pair of boys’ semifinals, and both the boys and girls title matches.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, June 30 | 6 p.m. | Girls Pool-Play Game | ESPNU |
| 7 p.m. | Boys Pool Play Game | ESPNU | |
| Fri, July 1 | 1 p.m. | Boys Semifinal 1 | ESPNU |
| 2 p.m. | Boys Semifinal 2 | ESPNU | |
| 6 p.m. | Girls Championship | ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | Boys Championship | ESPNU |
Run 4 Roses Classic
It won’t be just the boys playing, either. ESPN will expand its live national coverage of elite female youth sports with three championship games from the Run 4 Roses Classic at the Kentucky Exposition Center, in Louisville, Ky. You can watch three title games from the basketball tournament on Friday, July 8, starting on ESPN+ with later events airing on ESPNU.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, July 8 | 4 p.m. | Girls’ Aqua U17 championship | ESPN+ |
| 6 p.m. | Girls’ Nike U17 championship | ESPNU | |
| 8 p.m. | Girls’ Elite 40 U17 championship | ESPNU |
Las Vegas Big Time Finale
GEICO and ESPN are saving the biggest event for last. For the first time, ESPN will cover the Las Vegas Big Time Finale boys basketball tournament from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will feature some of the top high school basketball prospects in the nation and will absolutely be a must-watch event for those looking to see college basketball and the NBA’s next crop of superstars. Matchups are still to be determined, but the event will air in its entirety on Tuesday, July 26.
ESPN+
ESPN+ is a live TV streaming service that gives access to thousands of live sporting events, original shows like Peyton’s Place, the entire library of 30 for 30, E:60, The Last Dance, as well exclusive written analysis from top ESPN insiders. Sports available on ESPN+ include NFL, MLB, NHL, UFC, College Football, F1, Bundesliga, PGA Tour, La Liga, and more.