ESPN Commemorates 48th Anniversary of Title IX with espnW Presents: When We Play, A Multi-Platform Event, June 21-23

• More Than 125 Hours of Women’s Sports-Centric Content across Three Days and Five Networks
• Fan-Voted Options, Original Programming and Classic Game Re-Airs All Available

(June 15, 2020)  On June 23, 1972, as part of the Education Amendments, the United States passed Title IX which “requires that no person be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

To celebrate the 48th anniversary of the passing of Title IX, ESPN will launch espnW Presents: When We Play, a three-day, women’s sport-centric, multi-platform initiative that will be anchored by more than 125 total hours of female focused programming across ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network, SEC Network and Longhorn Network. Additional content will be available on ESPN.com, ESPN Audio and the espnW social handles. espnW Presents: When We Play will run from Sunday, June 21 through Tuesday, June 23. 

On the anniversary itself (June 23), beginning at midnight ET, female athletes and women’s sporting events will take over ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network, SEC Network and Longhorn Network for a full day of programming. It will be a day of buzzer beaters, record breakers, upsets, college championships, professional championships and career defining moments for trailblazing women such as Mo’ne Davis, Mia Hamm, Katelyn Ohashi, Ronda Rousey, Pat Summitt, Serena Williams and many more.

Fans Join in on the Action

The initiative kicks off on Sunday, June 21, at 12:30 p.m., on ESPN2, with a televised event voted on by the fans. Fans will have the option of voting for one of four recent major women’s sporting events:

• 2020 USWNT: USA vs. Japan
• 2019 Division I NCAA Volleyball Championship: Wisconsin vs. Stanford.
• 2019 Division I NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship: North Carolina vs. Stanford
• 2019 WNBA Finals Game Five: Connecticut Sun vs. Washington Mystics

 Voting begins Monday, June 15 and is available on Twitter via the @espnW handle and on espn.com.

 Following the fan voted event on ESPN2, the slate will continue with:

• Women’s College Basketball: The Oregon Ducks defeat Stanford and Sabrina Ionescu becomes the first NCAA Division I basketball player, male or female, to hit 2K, 1K, 1K (Points, Assists, Rebounds)
• 2019 US Open: Bianca Andrescu defeats Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam title
• UFC 248: Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

For the Occasion
Monday, June 22, on ESPN2, is a night devoted to original programming covering a wide-range of leagues and sports. WNBA Special will begin at 7 p.m. and take a look at the potential season ahead while also checking in on what the players have been doing during the hiatus. Ryan Ruocco will host, joined by Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson and Holly Rowe. The special will also feature interviews with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and WNBA Champion Elena Delle Donne. Also airing Monday night:

• Coco Gauff: The Lines Are the Same: Teenage tennis superstar Coco Gauff sits down with Chris Fowler to discuss her 2019 Wimbledon win against Venus Williams and the whirlwind she has been on ever since. (8) p.m.
• E:60: A compilation of powerful stories about strong determined women, hosted by Lisa Salters. The show will feature the stories of Simone Biles, Kayla Montgomery and Sabrina Ionescu. The When I Play  film is also included in this special edition. (9 p.m.)
• SC Featured: This special edition of SC Featured is hosted by Elle Duncan and features stories of trailblazing women that include Althea Gibson, Denise Long, Shelly Pennefather, Pratima Sherpa, Katherine Switzer, the Silver Bullets and the Flying Queens. (10 p.m.)

The night’s line-up will also include re-airs of two impactful documentaries in Undefeated: The Black Female Athlete and For the Culture.

• Unapologetic: The Black Female Athlete: The program highlights the challenges, portrayal and achievements of black female athletes, featuring interviews with a lineup of accomplished female athletes including Laila Ali, Michelle Carter, Misty Copeland, Allyson Felix, Simone Manuel, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Nneka Ogwumike and A’ja Wilson. Professional softball phenom and Gold Glove recipient A.J. Andrews serves as host and interviewer.
• For the Culture: A behind the scenes look at the building of an exceptional 2019-20 women’s basketball squad at the University of South Carolina, its iconic head coach Dawn Staley and a staggeringly talented team comprised of two seniors, four experienced returners and the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. 

But Wait, That’s Not All. . .
Throughout the three-day event, there will complementary content across ESPN.com, ESPN Audio and the espnW Facebook, Instagram and Twitter handles. Highlights include:

• On June 23, That’s What She Said Podcast: Host Sarah Spain will lead a round table discussion with Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, former Notre Dame Women’s head basketball coach Ann “Muffet” McGraw and the University of Tennessee’s Athletic Director Phillip Fulmer on women in leadership roles. They will also discuss the new John Wooden & Pat Summitt book on this subject that comes out this same day. The interview will also air on Spain’s National ESPN Radio Show “Spain & Company” that evening.
• Trailblazing NBA Women Coaches feature: About a third of NBA teams now employ a woman coach. Here, the coaches discuss their ascension in the men’s league. Interviews include Becky Hammon/Spurs, Jenny Boucek/ Mavs, Karen Stack Umlauf/Bulls, Natalie Nakase/Clippers, Kristi Toliver/Wizards, Lindsay Gottlieb/Cavs, Lindsey Harding/Kings, Niele Ivey/Grizzlies, Brittni Donaldson/Raptors and Teresa Weatherspoon/Pelicans.

 Full espnW Presents: When We Play Schedule

-30-