Notre Dame Football on NBC
Encyclopedia
Notre Dame Football on NBC is a presentation of the Notre Dame
football
television package on NBC
. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.
or Breeders' Cup
(before it moved to ESPN
in 2006), and include full-game replays on NBC's HD-exclusive cable channel, Universal HD
.
In 1991, the initial contract was sold to NBC for $38 million for 5 years or $1.2 million a game. Notre Dame got half of the latter figure and its opponent got the other half. In June 2008, NBC signed a contract extension, which covered from 2011 to 2015. According to Notre Dame, a portion of the television revenue goes towards academic scholarships.
In 2009, the team began to play one home game each year at a neutral site for recruitment and exposure purposes, starting with a late October 2009 game against Washington State
at the Alamodome
in San Antonio
; NBC televised this game in primetime, a first for the contract. A November 2010 matchup against Army
at Yankee Stadium
, which NBC also televised, was also a Notre Dame home game, despite West Point
's proximity to the Tri-State area.
Recently, Notre Dame's ratings
have been down significantly due both to relatively poor play and to NBC's overall decline in ratings in other dayparts; Notre Dame games on NBC drew less than half the ratings that CBS
and ABC
averaged for their college football games in 2008.
Beginning in 2011, new sister channel Versus
will air rebroadcasts of past Notre Dame games, including those aired on NBC over the years. Previously via NBC's rights deal, related cable network Universal HD
aired same-week reruns of Notre Dame home games until the January 2011 NBC-Comcast merger.
As of 2011, Notre Dame is one of only two college football properties to which NBC owns broadcast rights. The other is the annual Bayou Classic
at the end of November; NBC currently does not own the rights to any bowl game
s.
when ABC took over. It had the Orange Bowl from 1965 through 1995. NBC is also the home of the annual "Bayou Classic
" between Grambling State University
and Southern University
at the Louisiana Superdome
. The game is well known for its Battle of the Bands between the schools at halftime.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
television package on NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.
History
Since 1991, NBC has aired all of Notre Dame’s home football games. This has ensured that all of its home games are on national broadcast television. All of the games are aired in the afternoon, usually beginning between 1:30 and 2:30 CST. The games are typically planned around NBC’s schedule of such events as the Ryder CupRyder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
or Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
(before it moved to ESPN
PGA Tour on ESPN
Golf coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 has been a regular feature of the cable sports channels' programming since soon after ESPN's launch in 1979. Although ESPN no longer owns any share of the rights to the week-to-week events on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, or Champions Tour, the ESPN networks continue to...
in 2006), and include full-game replays on NBC's HD-exclusive cable channel, Universal HD
Universal HD
Universal HD is an HDTV cable television network owned by NBCUniversal. The channel was known as Bravo HD+ until December 1, 2004. The network exclusively broadcasts in high definition 1080i...
.
In 1991, the initial contract was sold to NBC for $38 million for 5 years or $1.2 million a game. Notre Dame got half of the latter figure and its opponent got the other half. In June 2008, NBC signed a contract extension, which covered from 2011 to 2015. According to Notre Dame, a portion of the television revenue goes towards academic scholarships.
In 2009, the team began to play one home game each year at a neutral site for recruitment and exposure purposes, starting with a late October 2009 game against Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
at the Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
; NBC televised this game in primetime, a first for the contract. A November 2010 matchup against Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, which NBC also televised, was also a Notre Dame home game, despite West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
's proximity to the Tri-State area.
Recently, Notre Dame's ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
have been down significantly due both to relatively poor play and to NBC's overall decline in ratings in other dayparts; Notre Dame games on NBC drew less than half the ratings that CBS
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
and ABC
College Football on ABC
ESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
averaged for their college football games in 2008.
Beginning in 2011, new sister channel Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
will air rebroadcasts of past Notre Dame games, including those aired on NBC over the years. Previously via NBC's rights deal, related cable network Universal HD
Universal HD
Universal HD is an HDTV cable television network owned by NBCUniversal. The channel was known as Bravo HD+ until December 1, 2004. The network exclusively broadcasts in high definition 1080i...
aired same-week reruns of Notre Dame home games until the January 2011 NBC-Comcast merger.
As of 2011, Notre Dame is one of only two college football properties to which NBC owns broadcast rights. The other is the annual Bayou Classic
Bayou Classic
The State Farm Bayou Classic is the annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars, first held under that name in 1974 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, although the series itself actually began in 1936...
at the end of November; NBC currently does not own the rights to any bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s.
NBC's other college football coverage
NBC broadcast the Rose Bowl beginning in 1952 until the 1988 Rose Bowl1988 Rose Bowl
The 1988 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1988. It was the 74th Rose Bowl Game. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the USC Trojans 20-17. Michigan State Linebacker Percy Snow was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. This was the last Rose Bowl game to air on NBC...
when ABC took over. It had the Orange Bowl from 1965 through 1995. NBC is also the home of the annual "Bayou Classic
Bayou Classic
The State Farm Bayou Classic is the annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars, first held under that name in 1974 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, although the series itself actually began in 1936...
" between Grambling State University
Grambling State Tigers football
The Grambling State Tigers are the college football team representing the Grambling State University. The Tigers play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.-Black College Football National Championships:...
and Southern University
Southern Jaguars football
The Southern Jaguars are the college football team representing the Southern University. The Jaguars play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.-National championships:*1948*1949*1950*1952*1954*1957...
at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
. The game is well known for its Battle of the Bands between the schools at halftime.
Current
- Alex FlanaganAlex FlanaganAlex Flanagan is an American sportscaster who is a graduate of the University of Arizona and Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona...
: sideline reporter (2007–present) - Tom HammondTom HammondTom Hammond is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports television. Hammond is one of the network's staple on-air presenters, along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks...
: play-by-play (1992–1996; 2000–present) - Mike MayockMike MayockMichael Francis Mayock is a former professional football player, a safety with the New York Giants of the National Football League...
: color commentator (2010–present)
Play-by-play
- Don CriquiDon CriquiDon Criqui is an American sportscaster, currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports. Criqui's duties include occasional television coverage of National Football League games, women's and men's college basketball, occasional college football and radio play-by-play of ISP Sports'...
(1994–1997) - Dick EnbergDick EnbergRichard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
(1991; 1993; 1998–1999) - Charlie JonesCharlie Jones (sportscaster)Charlie Jones was an American Emmy Award-winning sportscaster for NBC and ABC.-Education:Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Jones earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California and a law degree at the University of Arkansas.-American Football League/National Football...
(1993–1997) - Dan HicksDan Hicks (sportscaster)John Daniel "Dan" Hicks is an American sportscaster for NBC. His primary duties for the network include play-by-play commentary for golf, but he also does occasional play-by-play commentary for The AFL on NBC and Notre Dame football...
(2002; 2011) - Hicks filled in for Tom HammondTom HammondTom Hammond is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports television. Hammond is one of the network's staple on-air presenters, along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks...
(who was recovering from heart surgery) on the November 2, 2002 game against Boston College. In 2011, Hicks again, filled in for Hammond (who this time around, was calling the World Track & Field Championships2011 World Championships in AthleticsThe 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
in DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
) on the September 3 game against the USF Bulls2011 South Florida Bulls football teamThe 2011 South Florida Bulls football team will represent the University of South Florida in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The USF Bulls will play their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. The 2011 college football season will be the 15th season overall for the... - Craig Minervini (2000) - Minervini filled in for Tom HammondTom HammondTom Hammond is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports television. Hammond is one of the network's staple on-air presenters, along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks...
for the September 9, 2000 game against Nebraska2000 Nebraska Cornhuskers football teamThe 2000 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Frank Solich and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
, and the following week's game involving Purdue2000 Purdue Boilermakers football teamThe 2000 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Purdue finished as tri-champions of the Big Ten Conference and earned a berth in the Rose Bowl, the Boilermakers' first appearance in Pasadena since 1967.-Season:The season was...
. Hammond was preparing for and subsequently, assigned to work on NBCOlympics on NBCNBC Sports' coverage of the Olympic Games consists of broadcasts on the various networks of NBC Universal in the United States, including the NBC broadcast network, Spanish language network Telemundo, and many of the company's cable networks....
's Summer Olympic2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
telecasts in SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Color commentary
- Todd ChristensenTodd ChristensenTodd Jay Christensen is a former professional American football player and a current sports broadcaster for the MountainWest Sports Network.-Early life:...
(1993) - Cris CollinsworthCris CollinsworthAnthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
(1992; 1994) - Randy CrossRandy CrossRandall "Randy" Laureat Cross , is a football analyst and former NFL offensive lineman. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in July 2011.-High school years:...
(1994–1996) - Pat HadenPat HadenPatrick Capper "Pat" Haden is the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 to 1981...
(1998–2010) - left to become athletic director at USCUSC TrojansThe USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy... - Paul MaguirePaul MaguirePaul Leo Maguire is a former American football player and current television sportscaster.-Early sports career:Maguire attended Ursuline High School in Youngstown,Ohio and was recruited to play at The Citadel by the late Al Davis who was then an assistant coach and chief recruiter...
(1995) - Beasley ReeceBeasley ReeceBeasley Young Reece, Jr. was an American football defensive back with a nine year NFL career from 1976 to 1984...
(1996) - Phil SimmsPhil SimmsPhillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
(1995) - Bob TrumpyBob TrumpyBob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...
(1993; 1995–1997) - Bill Walsh (1991)