ESPN's announcers will call six games remotely during the first two rounds of the women's NCAA Tournament.
The network confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the commentators will not be on site for the first- and second-round games hosted by Maryland and Mississippi State on Friday through Monday.
ESPN has been using remote productions more often in the last couple of seasons, as it has also been broadcasting more men's and women's college basketball games overall across its networks. Of a record 3,200 games during the regular season, more than 90 - about 3 percent - were called remotely, and they were generally lower-profile matchups.
This is the first time ESPN has done so for the tournament, when nearly 10 percent of the 63 games will be handled remotely. The 48 matchups in the first two rounds are televised regionally.
