USC-Texas A&M matchup has SEC Network drooling
August 7, 2014
CHARLOTTE — Folks in Columbia are pretty excited about the season-opening football game Aug. 28 between South Carolina and Texas A&M.
But there may be just as much excitement up in the road at Charlotte’s ESPN production building, where the new home of the SEC Network is located. The network, which launches Aug. 14, has 1,000 live events to broadcast in its first year of existence, but none of them are bigger than the first football game between the Gamecocks and the Aggies at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“That’s a matchup that has not just SEC title implications but really national championship implications,” ESPN senior vice president of college networks Justin Connolly said. “To be able to have that kick off the season and kick off the network is significant for us. We were looking for a conference game early in the season, and that one really rose to the top. There’s no better way to demonstrate what this network can do.”
The SEC and ESPN have a 20-year agreement for the new television network and digital platform that will show conference sports around the clock.
The SEC Network, which has lined up distribution deals with cable providers to reach 91 million households, held an open house for media members Wednesday to unveil the “SEC Now” studio – the show comparable to ESPN’s “SportsCenter” – as well as the “Paul Finebaum Show” studio.
The 2,800 square feet of studio space will serve as the home base for the conference network that will show 45 football games, 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and many other SEC events across the sporting spectrum in the coming school year.
Much of the talk at the new studios centered on the event guaranteed to reach its first mass audience – the matchup between No. 9 South Carolina and No. 20 Texas A&M.
Joe Tessitore will serve as the host of “SEC Nation” – the network’s version of ESPN’s “College GameDay” – and he can’t wait to get to Columbia, where his show will broadcast from Gamecock Park, site of the former State Farmers Market.
“It’s an awesome game. It’s a game that could have been on any network in the biggest window,” Tessitore said. “There’s life after (Johnny) Manziel on one side and life after (Jadeveon) Clowney on the other. I think South Carolina is a dark-horse national title contender if they can win at home against Georgia and win on the road against Auburn.”
The “SEC Nation” show also will feature analysts Tim Tebow, the former Florida legend, Marcus Spears, the former LSU defensive standout, Paul Finebaum, the provocative radio host and former newspaper columnist, and reporter Kaylee Hartung.
Tebow, who’s a former Heisman Trophy winner for the Gators like USC coach Steve Spurrier, also is excited about the game, which will be called by the team of Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer.
“That stadium rocks,” Tebow said. “It’s a great environment. It will be the first on-location show so that’s going to be a blast.”
Both Tessitore and Tebow have studied USC’s personnel and like what Spurrier’s team returns.
“Dylan Thompson may be the name we’re talking about by the end of the year. Mike Davis is one of the best running backs in the country,” Tessitore said. “I want to see if the defensive backs step up and mature quickly. If they do, South Carolina’s going to have a good start to the year.”
Tebow has similar confidence in Thompson’s ability to lead the Gamecocks to a big season.
“Having Dylan Thompson coming back as the most hyped quarterback in the SEC East right now and one of the guys with the most experience, I expect him to have a great year,” Tebow said. “But you can never count out (Texas A&M coach) Kevin Sumlin, who has had great quarterbacks everywhere he has been. Two years ago, nobody knew about Johnny Manziel, and it’s going to be interesting to see if he can do it again.”
Conference officials also couldn’t contain their enthusiasm for the network’s launch. Although SEC commissioner Mike Slive couldn’t make Wednesday’s event, associate commissioner Charlie Hussey beamed at the prospect of the Gamecocks and Aggies putting the network in the bright spotlight.
“Commissioner (Mike) Slive stated that this is going to be a national network, and it was going to have content on it that fans wanted to see,” Hussey said. “When we had the opportunity to showcase South Carolina and Texas A&M, folks took notice.”
Steve Ackels, the coordinating producer for event production at the network, also likes the made-for-TV storyline that Spurrier always brings to a national broadcast.
“Steve will always give us some great sound bites and some great interviews as we get going,” Ackels said.
August 7, 2014
CHARLOTTE — Folks in Columbia are pretty excited about the season-opening football game Aug. 28 between South Carolina and Texas A&M.
But there may be just as much excitement up in the road at Charlotte’s ESPN production building, where the new home of the SEC Network is located. The network, which launches Aug. 14, has 1,000 live events to broadcast in its first year of existence, but none of them are bigger than the first football game between the Gamecocks and the Aggies at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“That’s a matchup that has not just SEC title implications but really national championship implications,” ESPN senior vice president of college networks Justin Connolly said. “To be able to have that kick off the season and kick off the network is significant for us. We were looking for a conference game early in the season, and that one really rose to the top. There’s no better way to demonstrate what this network can do.”
The SEC and ESPN have a 20-year agreement for the new television network and digital platform that will show conference sports around the clock.
The SEC Network, which has lined up distribution deals with cable providers to reach 91 million households, held an open house for media members Wednesday to unveil the “SEC Now” studio – the show comparable to ESPN’s “SportsCenter” – as well as the “Paul Finebaum Show” studio.
The 2,800 square feet of studio space will serve as the home base for the conference network that will show 45 football games, 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and many other SEC events across the sporting spectrum in the coming school year.
Much of the talk at the new studios centered on the event guaranteed to reach its first mass audience – the matchup between No. 9 South Carolina and No. 20 Texas A&M.
Joe Tessitore will serve as the host of “SEC Nation” – the network’s version of ESPN’s “College GameDay” – and he can’t wait to get to Columbia, where his show will broadcast from Gamecock Park, site of the former State Farmers Market.
“It’s an awesome game. It’s a game that could have been on any network in the biggest window,” Tessitore said. “There’s life after (Johnny) Manziel on one side and life after (Jadeveon) Clowney on the other. I think South Carolina is a dark-horse national title contender if they can win at home against Georgia and win on the road against Auburn.”
The “SEC Nation” show also will feature analysts Tim Tebow, the former Florida legend, Marcus Spears, the former LSU defensive standout, Paul Finebaum, the provocative radio host and former newspaper columnist, and reporter Kaylee Hartung.
Tebow, who’s a former Heisman Trophy winner for the Gators like USC coach Steve Spurrier, also is excited about the game, which will be called by the team of Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer.
“That stadium rocks,” Tebow said. “It’s a great environment. It will be the first on-location show so that’s going to be a blast.”
Both Tessitore and Tebow have studied USC’s personnel and like what Spurrier’s team returns.
“Dylan Thompson may be the name we’re talking about by the end of the year. Mike Davis is one of the best running backs in the country,” Tessitore said. “I want to see if the defensive backs step up and mature quickly. If they do, South Carolina’s going to have a good start to the year.”
Tebow has similar confidence in Thompson’s ability to lead the Gamecocks to a big season.
“Having Dylan Thompson coming back as the most hyped quarterback in the SEC East right now and one of the guys with the most experience, I expect him to have a great year,” Tebow said. “But you can never count out (Texas A&M coach) Kevin Sumlin, who has had great quarterbacks everywhere he has been. Two years ago, nobody knew about Johnny Manziel, and it’s going to be interesting to see if he can do it again.”
Conference officials also couldn’t contain their enthusiasm for the network’s launch. Although SEC commissioner Mike Slive couldn’t make Wednesday’s event, associate commissioner Charlie Hussey beamed at the prospect of the Gamecocks and Aggies putting the network in the bright spotlight.
“Commissioner (Mike) Slive stated that this is going to be a national network, and it was going to have content on it that fans wanted to see,” Hussey said. “When we had the opportunity to showcase South Carolina and Texas A&M, folks took notice.”
Steve Ackels, the coordinating producer for event production at the network, also likes the made-for-TV storyline that Spurrier always brings to a national broadcast.
“Steve will always give us some great sound bites and some great interviews as we get going,” Ackels said.