You'll need ESPNU to watch Gophers vs. Minnesota State Mankato in the Frozen Four

The April 7 national semifinal between the Gophers and Mavericks, originally slated for ESPN2, has been moved to ESPNU because of a conflict with an MLB season opener.

March 31, 2022 at 8:28PM
Minnesota State forward Cade Borchardt, back left, passes the puck as forward Nathan Smith, back right, tries to block Minnesota defenseman Mike Koster in the first period of an NCAA College Hockey Regional Final, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Loveland, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Gophers defenseman Mike Koster battled with Minnesota State’s Cade Borchardt and Nathan Smith in an NCAA regional final last year. (David Zalubowski, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

For those who added ESPNU to their cable, satellite or streaming services to watch the NCAA men's hockey regional tournaments last weekend, don't cancel that package quite yet. You're going to need it to watch the Gophers play Minnesota State Mankato in the Frozen Four.

ESPN2 originally was scheduled to broadcast both NCAA semifinal games on April 7 and the national championship game on April 9 from Boston. That, however, changed this week for one game. The Minnesota-Minnesota State semifinal instead will air on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m. April 7. The first semifinal between Denver and Michigan remains on ESPN2 at 4 p.m., as does the national championship game at 7 p.m. April 9.

The reason for the move: Major League Baseball, or more specifically, the money fight between the players and owners that dragged on and delayed the start of the season. Instead of the Gophers-Mavericks game, ESPN2 will air the season opener between the World Series champion Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds because of a contractual obligation with MLB, an ESPN spokesperson confirmed. If you're wondering what the flagship ESPN will air in that time, it's the first-round replay of the Masters.

The difference between airing on ESPNU vs. ESPN2 when it comes to potential audience size is substantial. ESPN2 is packaged with ESPN on cable and satellite systems, and parent company Disney in a Security and Exchange Commission filing in late November estimated ESPN had 76 million viewers. ESPNU had an estimated 51 million viewers, per Nielsen research that Disney included in its filing.

Compounding the situation is the fact that ESPNU often isn't on the same package as ESPN and ESPN2. For example, Xfinity requires a higher-level, and higher-priced, package to have ESPNU than it does to have ESPN2.

about the writer

about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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