ESPN.com - ESPNINC/PRESSRELEASES - College football telecasts to feature "ESPN Real Time" scores from school sites

 Thursday, September 7
College football telecasts to feature "ESPN Real Time" scores from school sites
 
 Beginning Saturday, Sept. 9, ESPN will bring real-time stadium scoreboard information from most Division I-A colleges nationwide to viewers' living rooms in a college football first. With the debut of "ESPN RealTime" on halftime and pre-and post-game scoreboard shows and SportsCenter, including its "BottomLine," fans will receive game statistics such as running time, scores and ball possession as they change at each stadium.

ESPN.com and ESPN updates at :28 and :58 past the hour will be incorporating the feature in the near future. "ESPN RealTime" will also be used to provide the most up-to-date information on all NFL contests.

With assistance from the schools, conferences and NFL, ESPN will directly connect to each stadium scoreboard and download the real-time data from the scoreboards. ESPN will then have access to use all of the scoreboard information, including scores, a running clock, which team holds possession of the ball, the down and distance for a first down, if a team has taken a timeout and the remaining timeouts for each team. For example, if the clock on a stadium scoreboard is running, the clock on ESPN's graphic panel will change simultaneously.

"Through the cooperation of the schools and conferences, we will be able to provide college football fans with up-to-the-second information through our 'ESPN RealTime' feature,'" said Mo Davenport, ESPN senior coordinating producer. "'ESPN RealTime,' in addition to the new high-tech studio for ESPN halftime and scoreboard shows, gives us even more tools to continue to provide the viewers with the best in college football coverage."