2012 NCAA Nationals – Preview, Notes and Press Releases

2011 Champion Anthony Robles Joins ESPN as NCAA Wrestling Analyst
More than 50 hours of full championship coverage across platforms; four-mat viewing on ESPN3

The 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships will see a familiar face off the mats this year when former three-time All-American and the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Champion Anthony Robles returns as one of two analysts in ESPN’s 21^st  year of covering the event.

Robles, born without a right leg, has yet to let anything get in the way of his determination to succeed in life. His athletic achievements gained national notoriety last spring after a 36-0 senior year at Arizona State ended with his 125-pound title in March.

“Fresh off a spectacular career, Anthony will contribute a personal knowledge of both current wrestling techniques and student-athletes that is crucial to our telecasts of the sport,” said John Vassallo, ESPN senior coordinating producer. “We are impressed with both his awareness, poise and on-camera presence for someone in their first television role.”

ESPN previously recognized the stand-out athlete with Best Male Performance by an Athlete with a Disability at the ESPYs last year, in addition to ESPN’s Jimmy-V Award. The network’s newest NCAA analyst will enhance ESPN’s coverage of the quarterfinals, medal round and finals alongside veteran analyst Tim Johnson and play-by-play commentator Adam Amin. Additional insight will be provided throughout by reporter Quint Kessenich, a former two-time county wrestling champion at New York’s Lynbrook High School.

For the fourth year, ESPN3 will provide an exclusive four-screen, four-mat viewing experience unique to wrestling on the multi-screen sports network. Beginning Thursday, March 15, at noon, ESPN3 viewers will have the opportunity to view hundreds of individual matches throughout the three day tournament, utilizing the resource. Shawn Kenney and three-time All-American Jim Gibbons will voice sessions one and two on ESPN3.

For the sixth consecutive year, two of the four quarterfinals, as well as the semifinals, will be televised on ESPNU in a revised side-by-side format to maximize the HD viewing experience, allowing viewers to catch the action in two matches at the same time.

ESPNU will televise the Championship Medal Round and the individual weight class Championships on Saturday, March 17, with the Finals at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. During the Finals, two referees per match will wear a microphone, providing fans with even more access and understanding of the action.

In total, ESPN will showcase more than 50 hours across multiple platforms to cover every angle of the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

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NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SHOW TO BE UNVIELED ON NCAA.COM AND NCAA SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

INDIANAPOLIS – In conjunction with NCAA.com and the NCAA’s social media platforms, the 330 athletes participating in 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be announced on Wednesday, March 7.

Beginning at 1 p.m. ET the list of 33 competitors in each weight class will be systematically rolled out as they are finalized by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Selection Committee.  The unveiling will begin with the participants in the 125-pound weight class and will continue with each of the subsequent weight classes throughout the afternoon until the 33 Heavyweight participants have been released.

Wrestling fans can log on to NCAA.com to find an up to the minute list of competitors in the championships field. In addition, fans with a Facebook account can track on the latest qualifiers by following the NCAA Wrestling Facebook page (Facebook.com/NCAAWrestling). Status updates linking to the list of qualifiers will be posted the minute the latest weight class has been finalized.

Once all 330 participants have been released fans can log on to NCAA.com at 6 p.m. ET where the NCAA Division I Wrestling Selection will reveal the 13 seeded wrestlers in each weight class as well as all 170 first-round matchups.

Following the selection show, complete brackets for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be available on NCAA.com.