2014 Water Polo Championship Program

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2014 MAACWATER POLO

THE MAAC AND THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT ESPNWIDE WORLD OF SPORTS PARTNERSHIP

The MAAC will support 25 sports and championships during the 2013-14 academic year, which almost all have NCAA Championship Access through automatic bids or regional qualifying systems. Highlighting the MAAC’s commitment to providing a first rate experience for its fans and student-athletes are those championships held at the Walt Disney World Resort ESPN Wide World of Sports. The 2013-14 academic year represents the MAAC’s 15th year of hosting championships at the complex where the league hosts 3 events each year. These include one fall championship each year with all 11 member schools participating as with women’s soccer in 2013. The sports that rotate include men’s soccer, men’s & women’s cross country, women’s soccer, and volleyball. In the fall of 2014, volleyball will return to the complex for its championship. The championship operation at Disney allows the MAAC to provide its participating student-athletes and their families and fans a world-class sports championship experience. The access to the playing facilities, on-site hotels, theme parks, including an after-hours awards banquet, are designed to provide lasting memories as the student graduate and become alumni of the league and its member schools. The MAAC recently approved a new events agreement with Disney for 2015-18, which includes ESPN broadcasting elements for all the championships. ESPN’s state-of-the-art studios broadcast highlights of MAAC on-site tournaments throughout all Disney World Resort hotel properties as well as on ESPN3 and MAAC.TV. All MAAC contests for Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, and Men’s and Women’s Golf are broadcast by ESPN’s on-site studios. This year’s women’s soccer championships will have its final championship game, semi-finals and two of the quarterfinal games broadcast on ESPN3 to a national audience available for viewing in 86 million homes on high speed internet networks. The MAAC has also co-hosted with ESPN since 2006 the Old SpiceClassic at the ESPNWWS complex. This 8-team tournament is held over Thanksgiving weekend continues to draw elite men’s basketball teams to compete. One MAAC school is included in the field each year and this Thanksgiving Siena College will compete in this premier event. The MAAC also hosts its Men’s & Women’s Golf Championships at the Disney complex. The men’s and women’s golf teams compete at PGA-caliber courses during the spring and rotate between Palm (2014) and Magnolia at on the Arnold Palmer managed courses. The golf hosting agreement at Disney was

recently extended through 2018 championships. As noted before, ESPN studios in Orlando is an important element of MAAC broadcasting efforts. It also serves as the production site for the annual MAAC Pre-Season Coaches Show and develops in-season features, commercials and promotional elements for the MAAC ESPN broadcasts and for MAAC.TV. During the 2012-13 season, both the Cross Country and Golf Championships saw live coverage on ESPN3 for the first time in MAAC history because of the valuable partnership between the MAAC and the Walt Disney World Resort. Also shot on site is the annual MAAC SAAC Forum where student-athlete leaders from all MAAC schools participate on a live issues forum on ESPN3 form the sports complex. The partnership will again grow in 2014 when the MAAC and Disney add a dedicated academic element to the mix of the valuable assets from this relationship. The Disney Internship Program is world renowned for providing valuable training to entry level sports administrators. As part of the extended MAAC/ Disney hosting agreement the MAAC office will be able to select three recent graduate level students in sports management or related fields to work on the Disney Sports Team. The Disney Sports Internship program provides graduate students the perfect opportunity to gain experience in a variety of disciplines while learning from the best of the best. Disney Sports Attractions will immerse students in major brands such as run Disney and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World® Resort.

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