Behind the Mic: Ernie Johnson To Lead The Match: Tiger vs. Phil ; ESPN, Fox Sports Reveal CBB Broadcast Teams

Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, Turner Sports releases cast of personalities for “The Match: Tiger vs. Phil,” a pair of networks announced their broadcast teams for the college basketball season Jennifer Botterill joins MSG Networks for their Islanders coverage, and Fox Sports names their on-air crew for FS1 UFC Fight Night: Magny VS. Ponzinibbio.

Turner Sports’ live PPV coverage of Capital One’s The Match: Tiger vs. Phil, the highly-anticipated showdown between the iconic Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, will be led by Sports Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Ernie Johnson providing play-by-play, alongside analysts Darren Clarke – 2011 Open Championship winner – and NBC Sports/Golf Channel’s Peter Jacobsen, and reporters Shane Bacon and LPGA veteran Natalie Gulbis. The broadcast team will provide commentary throughout the winner-take-all $9 million match play competition, to be held Friday, Nov. 23, at Noon PT / 3 p.m. ET from the exclusive Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

Additionally, Turner Sports will produce The Pre-Match Show Presented by Capital One – Friday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. ET – offering fans a look inside the preparation of Woods and Mickelson immediately preceding the main event. The pre-show coverage – including footage of Woods and Mickelson warming up on the putting green and driving range – will be a combination of sports and entertainment.

Bleacher Report’s Adam Lefkoe will host the one-hour, pre-match show with three-time PGA Tour winner Pat Perez, along with Samuel L. Jackson and Charles Barkley, among other special guests. The pre-show commentator team will also be integrated into the live event coverage at select moments during the competition…

…ESPN’s college basketball coverage will boast some of the most prominent voices in the sport.

New additions to the roster include former Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy, Jordan Cornette, former Notre Dame standout who holds the school record as all-time leading shot blocker, and veteran NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy, all serving as game and studio analysts. ESPN also welcomes back Carolyn Peck, who will be a fixture on SEC Network’s women’s college basketball coverage. Peck is the youngest national champion coach, winning a title at Purdue.

Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, and Maria Taylor will call Saturday Primetime and marquee matchups throughout the season.

College GameDay covered by State Farm returns for the 15th season, with host Rece Davis and Bilas, Seth Greenberg, and Jay Williams, beginning January 19.

Adam Amin, Rebecca Lobo, Kara Lawson, and Holly Rowe return as the lead women’s college basketball team and will call a number of NCAA Div. I Women’s Championship games, as well as the Women’s Final Four.

Longtime analyst Dick Vitale enters his 40th season with ESPN. The Hall of Fame veteran has called over 1,000 games for the network.

Men’s Basketball Coverage

  • Big Monday: The team of Sean McDonough, Bilas or Vitale, and Allison Williams will work ACC games, while Bob Wischusen, Fran Fraschilla, and Rowe cover Big 12 matchups
  • Super Tuesday voices include Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich, and Molly McGrath for Big Ten matchups, Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, and Laura Rutledge calling SEC men’s basketball games, and ACC matchups called by Davis and LaPhonso Ellis
  • The dynamic duo of Dave Pasch and Bill Walton will continue to call Pac-12 matchups
  • Wischusen and Vitale will partner to work on multiple conference matchups on Saturdays throughout the season
  • Amin and John Thompson III will work on a number of American Athletic Conference games
  • Play-by-by commentators include Jon Sciambi, Tom Hart, Jason Benetti, Mike Couzens, Kevin Brown, Doug Sherman, Roy Philpott, Rich Hollenberg, Beth Mowins, Courtney Lyle and Anish Shroff, among others
  • Analysts include Sean Farnham, Cornette, Cory Alexander, Deb Antonelli, Lawson, Robbie Hummel, Caron Butler, Chris Spatola and Dalen Cuff, and more
  • SEC Network will present more than 100 SEC games exclusively, and will include analysts Pat Bradley, Dane Bradshaw, Daymeon Fishback, Kennedy, and Jon Sundvold, as well as play-by-play commentators Richard Cross, Kevin Fitzgerald, Hart, Mike Morgan, Dave Neal, and Philpott
    • Studio coverage will be provided by Bradley, Dykes, and Antoine Walker
  • Longhorn Network will surround the network’s exclusive Texas men’s basketball games with studio programming that includes Game Plan with head coach Shaka Smart and Lowell Galindo. Galindo will call play-by-play for the network alongside analysts Lance Blanks, Reid Gettys, and others.
  • Ted Emrich and Paul Biancardi will call high school matchups

Women’s Basketball Coverage

  • Big Monday and Showcase Thursday games will see the commentator team of Amin and Lawson/Lobo
  • Mowins and Deb Antonelli to partner to call a Big Monday doubleheader matchup and Sunday games throughout the season
  • Antonelli will work with Paul Sunderland on Thursday SEC Network games, and will also call games on ESPN2
  • Pam Ward will serve as a play by play commentator for several games throughout the season, working with Peck on ESPN2 and SEC Network
  • SEC Network boasts more than 70 games on ESPN’s network dedicated to the Southeastern Conference
    • Nell Fortner will appear in studio on Thursdays with Andy Landers and Taylor
    • Monday games will be called by Brenda VanLengen and Andraya Carter
    • SEC game coverage to include analysts Antonelli, Fortner, Landers, and Steffi Sorensen, and play-by-play commentators Lyle, Sunderland, VanLengen, and Ward
  • Coverage will also include Brooke Weisbrod, LaChina Robinson, and Christy Thomaskutty
  • Dawn Davenport, Tiffany Greene, and Philpott will serve as a play-by-play commentators for several games during the regular season
  • Longhorn Network studio programming includes Game Plan with Karen Aston, as well as Texas GameDay. Alex Loeb and Fortner will call several matchups…

…With the 2018-19 season for men’s and women’s basketball underway, Pac-12 Networks announced its roster of on-air broadcasters and expert analysts as the networks plan for its most coverage yet of both sports. Included in the announcement is the addition of former Arizona Wildcat and NBA Veteran Richard Jefferson, as well as longtime play-by-play announcer Barry Tompkins to the Pac-12 Networks team.

For a complete list of on-air broadcasters and expert analysts covering men’s and women’s basketball on Pac-12 Networks this season, for both game coverage as well as shoulder coverage with hosts Ashley Adamson and Mike Yam, see below:

Women’s Basketball

Providing on-air coverage for over 100 women’s basketball games on Pac-12 Networks will feature a returning cast of veteran announcers and expert analysts along with Tracy Warren who joins the Pac-12 Networks team for a number of game broadcasts this season. The entire roster includes:

Play-by-play/Analyst

  • Thad Anderson/Tammy Blackburn
  • Anne Marie Anderson/Joan Bonvicini
  • Krista Blunk/Layshia Clarendon
  • Cindy Brunson/Rosalyn Gold-Onwude
  • Ann Schatz/Maylana Martin Douglas
  • Kate Scott/Mary Murphy
  • Jim Watson/Tracy Warren
  • Elise Woodward

Men’s Basketball

Providing on-air coverage for 149 men’s basketball games on Pac-12 Networks will feature a returning cast of veteran announcers and expert analysts, including:

Play-by-play/Analyst

  • Roxy Bernstein/Dan Belloumini
  • Rich Burk/Ben Braun
  • Aaron Goldsmith/P.J. Carlesimo
  • Guy Haberman/Dan Dickau
  • Greg Heister/Eddie House
  • J.B. Long/Casey Jacobsen
  • Ted Robinson/Jefferson
  • Daron Sutton/Steve Lavin
  • Barry Tompkins/Don MacLean
  • Jim Watson/Mike Montgomery
  • Matt Muehlebach
  • Eldridge Recasner
  • Walton…

…MSG Networks announced that three-time Olympic Gold medalist Jennifer Botterill is joining the MSG Networks broadcast team this season as a studio analyst for select New York Islanders telecasts.

One of the most decorated women’s hockey players of all-time, Botterill will bring her expert analysis to approximately 20 Islanders broadcasts on MSG Networks this season. Botterill will team with Shannon Hogan, in her fifth year as Islanders host, for pregame, intermission, and postgame Islanders coverage on MSG+. Islanders legend and four-time Stanley Cup Champion Butch Goring is currently in his ninth season as in-game analyst, alongside play-by-play announcer Brendan Burke, who is in his third season in the booth. Botterill joins her former Harvard teammate and Olympic Gold medalist AJ Mleczko, who was recently added to the Islanders broadcast team earlier this year, working select games as a studio analyst as well…

…Fox Sports announced UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and retired title contender Kenny Florian serve as analysts with UFC host Megan Olivi forFS1 UFC Fight Night: Magny VS. Ponzinibbio programming on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17, while Heidi Androl reports and interviews fighters.

Veteran MMA analyst Jimmy Smith joins blow-by-blow announcer Brendan Fitzgerald to call FS1 UFC Fight Night: Magny VS. Ponzinibbio live from Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, Nov. 17 on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum and Victor Davila call the fights in Spanish on Fox Deportes.

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