ESPNU's 5th Annual SUMMER OF NEXT Begins This Saturday

ESPNU's fifth annual Summer of Next Presented by GEICO will begin Saturday, July 1, and continue through the 2017 GEICO ESPN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Kickoff. The series of events, featuring the nation's next generation of elite college athletes, includes the Under Armour All-America Girls and Boys Lacrosse Games (July 1), the NIKE EYBL Peach Jam (July 16), The 8 Basketball Tournament (July 27-28), the Premier Girls Softball Fastpitch 18U National Championship and All-American Game (July 28), the American Legion WORLD SERIES (August 12-15) and the GEICO ESPN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Kickoff. The Kickoff, in its eighth year, begins Friday, August 26 and will feature seven HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL games through Sunday, August 27. Summer of Next will cover five different sports over two months, with more than 25 games and 70 hours of programming, spotlighting hundreds of student-athletes.

This year's Summer of Next events will feature the sounds of up-and-coming artist Jorge Blanco's "Summer Soul."

"This song is a great fit for Summer of Next, not only because of its summer theme, but also its modern vibe," said Kevin Wilson, ESPN music director. "It gives us the ability to associate these events, which highlight the future stars of college sports, with Blanco, who has the potential to be the next breakout star here in the U.S."

Summer of Next Schedule
All events will be played on ESPNU unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, July 1
Under Armour All-America Lacrosse at Towson University (Towson, Md.)
Girls Game: 5:30 p.m. ET
Boys Game: 8 p.m.

The 2017 Under Armour All-America rosters are selected by Inside Lacrosse and a selection committee. The top senior high school lacrosse players will face off in North vs. South matchups. The All-America girls' roster is available here, and the All-America boys' roster is available here.

Sunday, July 16
Nike EYBL Peach Jam Championship (North Augusta, S.C.)
2 p.m.

The championship game culminates the twenty-four team tournament, comprised of the top high school basketball players in the nation. Notable alumni include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Ben Simmons and several 2017 NBA DRAFT first-round picks, including top-10 picks Jayson Tatum, De'Aaron Fox, Jonathan Isaac and Dennis Smith Jr.

Recruiting Nation will be on site for the Peach Jam final, and will be live for a 30-minute preview show prior to the matchup (1:30 p.m., ESPNU).

Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28
The 8 Basketball Tournament as part of the Las Vegas Classic (Las Vegas, Nev.)
July 27 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., July 28 at 5 p.m.

This AAU tournament, hosted by NBA All-Star Chris Paul, showcases eight elite travel team programs from across the country. Each team is coached by a current or former NBA player. The semifinals (July 27 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) and championship game (July 28 at 5 p.m.) will be televised on ESPNU.

Friday, July 28
Premier Girls Fastpitch 18U National Championship (Irvine, Calif.)
7:30 p.m.

Premier Girls Fastpitch High School All-American Game (Irvine, Calif.)
10:30 p.m.

For the second year, these two high school softball events will be televised on ESPNU as part of Summer of Next, showcasing the top high school softball players across the country. The All-American Game roster can be found here. More information on this event, including participating teams, can be found here.

Saturday, August 12 - Tuesday, August 15
American Legion WORLD SERIES at Shelby High School's Keeter Stadium (Shelby, N.C.)

August 12 - 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
August 13 - Noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
August 14 - 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
August 15 -7 p.m.

The American Legion WORLD SERIES will showcase the top HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL players competing on regional teams in this summer baseball league.

Friday, August 25 - Sunday, August 27
2017 GEICO ESPN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Kickoff

Summer of Next concludes with the HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL kickoff, a seven-game lineup with matchups throughout the weekend on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. A complete schedule and details can be found here.

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