NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2002 -- Down Low: Life in the D League, a 13-episode series following the lives of the North Charleston Lowgators of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), will debut on Sunday, January 20 at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The opening 60-minute program will be followed by 12 half-hour episodes airing three times per week – Wednesdays at 12:30 a.m. ET on ESPN, Mondays at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The series will provide viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the players' lives, with cameras and microphones following head coach Alex English and the team at practice, into their homes and on the road. In addition, ESPN and ESPN2 are combining for coverage of 24 NBDL games, concluding in early April with the NBDL Championship. ESPN.com and NBDL.com, the official Web site of the NBDL, will feature a special section on the show that will include video clips of upcoming episodes, summaries of previous episodes, the program schedule and complete information on the North Charleston Lowgators and the rest of the NBDL. ESPN2 is televising 18 NBDL regular-season games, plus playoffs, with the Lowgators in 15 match-ups, including nine remaining contests, to help further familiarize fans with the North Charleston players.

In the first week's episode, viewers will witness the creation of the Lowgators – from the first practice to tryouts to the emotional final cut-down day. Down Low: Life in the D League has complete access to life in the NBA's minor league.

The National Basketball Development League tipped off its inaugural season on November 16, 2001. The Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), North Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Mobile Revelers (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.), Greenville Groove (S.C.), and Asheville Altitude (N.C.) will compete in a 56-game regular season schedule that runs from mid-November through March, followed by playoffs. A total of 24 games will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN, and 19 games will be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports Net South.

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the NBDL offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. In addition to being a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 29 teams, the NBDL will also serve as a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions in each NBDL city.

NBDL players must be 20 years of age or older to play in the league. NBDL teams do not have a direct affiliation with specific NBA teams. Development league players are eligible to play for any NBA team.