“The faces on our ESPN team have changed over the last 25 years – but our commitment to lacrosse has escalated as the sport has grown.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: ESPN celebrates its 25th consecutive year of covering the NCAA Men’s Division I Lacrosse Championships Finals. Today for Throwback Thursday, Front Row presents the opening minute of the 1996 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship between Princeton and Virginia. In the video above, former Johns Hopkins star goalie Quint Kessenich is in his fourth year as an ESPN analyst. He and play-by-play commentator Leif Elsmo set the scene; in this post, Kessenich tells Front Row about his perspective on ESPN’s commitment to NCAA lacrosse.

NCAA lacrosse championship weekend is approaching, with women’s semifinals action on Friday in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins, and men’s semifinals unfolding Saturday at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (details in tweet below).

From 1996 to today, Quint Kessenich continues to be a staple of ESPN’s coverage, as evidenced in the vintage video above.

“Our focus has always been on the game, showcasing it, highlighting it and celebrating it,” said Kessenich, a four-time All-American during his playing days at Johns Hopkins. “Lacrosse championship weekend is the pinnacle for these athletes, a moment they’ll never forget. The faces on our ESPN team have changed over the last 25 years – but our commitment to lacrosse has escalated as the sport has grown. We are proud to televise championship weekend and welcome the responsibility – to educate, entertain and enlighten.”

For more information on ESPN’s multiplatform coverage of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Championships this weekend, visit ESPN Press Room. Friday on Front Row, senior coordinating producer John Vassallo provides his perspective on ESPN’s NCAA lacrosse coverage.

Championship Weekend is upon us! @NCAALAX https://t.co/m2FVPalnFU pic.twitter.com/MQ2BUK2cM8

— Anna Negron (@ItsAnnaNegron) May 22, 2019