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ESPN Accidentally Leaks Women's NCAA Tournament Bracket Early

Many women's teams, including Maryland, had selection day festivities spoiled by the early leak GETTY IMAGES

ESPN has apologized for "revealing the women's NCAA Tournament bracket early," which caused the net to move up its official reveal show two hours to 5:00pm ET yesterday, according to Iliana Limon Romero of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Journalist Blake DuDonis first "noticed portions of the women's NCAA Tournament bracket were flashed on the screen during regular ESPNU news coverage." He then "took pictures of three of the four regions the network revealed and posted them on Twitter." After DuDonis' tweets "generated considerable buzz on social media, the NCAA then tweeted it was moving up its selection show" to 5:00pm on ESPN2. ESPN's Maria Taylor opened the selection show by "apologizing for the early reveal of the bracket." ESPN released a statement that read, "In working with the NCAA to prepare for tonight's Women's Selection Special, we received the bracket, similar to years past. In the midst of our preparation, the bracket was mistakenly posted on ESPNU. We deeply regret the error and extend our apology to the NCAA and the women's basketball community" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/19).

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Taylor at the start of the 7:00pm show, which was originally set for the bracket reveal, said, "The good news is, this hour, we've already seen the bracket. Now we get to break it down." SI.com's Jacob Feldman noted Taylor and a "trio of analysts did well to keep the show loose, thanking the teams that were able to send in reaction shots in real-time and not hiding from the unfortunate circumstances." SI.com's Jacob Feldman wrote it was a "mystery" why ESPN and the NCAA "agreed to add an impromptu 5 p.m. bracket show and turn the 7 p.m. special into more of a bracket breakdown." A decision "seemingly made to limit the damage only added more chaos" (SI.com, 3/18).

DROPPED THE BALL: In N.Y., Draper & Whiteside note this was the second time in recent years that a "basketball tournament bracket leaked before it was supposed to be revealed." The men's bracket three years ago was "leaked on Twitter in the middle of the CBS telecast of the selection show." While the '16 leak "seemed like a malicious one designed to embarrass CBS and the NCAA," yesterday's reveal was an "error by one of the NCAA's biggest media partners." ESPN pays a reported $36M annually for the "rights to show 24 NCAA tournament championships, including the women's college basketball tournament." This leak "demonstrates the peril in purposefully delaying news in order to get brackets, graphics and talking points prepared for a manufactured television event" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/19).

PARTY'S OVER: In DC, Wallace & Bieler wrote yesterday's "technical glitch ruined watch parties across the country," as many schools "invited fans to join them for what would have been watch parties but became more general celebrations after the brackets were revealed." Oregon, Oregon State, Princeton, Radford and Rice were among the schools that "canceled their events" after the brackets were leaked (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/18). In L.A., Ben Bolch notes UCLA canceling its watch party was "especially disappointing considering the team had not been able to hold one in recent years because of conflicts with classes" (L.A. TIMES, 3/19). NCAA Women's Tournament Selection Committee Chair Rhonda Benett said that ESPN and the committee "did the best they could to try and preserve some sort of experience for the teams once the bracket was revealed early." The AP's Doug Feinberg noted while some teams canceled their watch parties, others "still celebrated their accomplishments, even going so far as to sequester the players after practice so they could still enjoy the experience without it being spoiled" (AP, 3/18).

BEST OF A BAD SITUATION: In Sioux Falls, Brian Haenchen notes Univ. of South Dakota staff members "began organizing an impromptu watch party" after the bracket was leaked, in some instances "pulling athletes from their workouts so they could watch the selection show alongside the team." USD coach Dawn Plitzuweit: "I thought it could take a really special moment away from our young ladies. With as much time and effort as they've put into it, I really wanted them to enjoy that moment" (SIOUX FALLS ARGUS LEADER, 3/19). Missouri State coach Kellie Harper: "The excitement and the anticipation of finding out who you're playing and seeing your name on the board ... it's part of the experience. We were really disappointed." MSU fans still "made their way to the lower bowl at JQH Arena to watch the taped announcement make its way over the jumbotron" (Springfield NEWS-LEADER, 3/19). In Austin, Rick Cantu notes about 200 fans -- "roughly half of a normal turnout -- joined the Longhorns at their watch party when ESPN rebroadcast its selection show" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/19).

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