UK ATHLETICS

News Release

LEXINGTON— As the University of Kentucky’s 2019-20 athletics schedule gets underway, the UK Sports Network is revamping its programming with the debut of Big Blue Nation TV (BBN TV) and Big Blue Nation Radio (BBN Radio).

 BBN TV is a weekly 30-minute television program built around exclusive access and analysis by UK Sports Network talent, co-hosted by Emmy-nominated sportscaster Lee K. Howard and veteran UK Sports Network radio host Christi Thomas. The duo will be joined each week by University of Kentucky coaches and student-athletes, as well as a rotation of UK Sports Network talent, including Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro, Jeremy Jarmon, Dusty Bonner, Rex Chapman and Mike Pratt. The show replaces previous UK Sports Network television programming, which consisted of the Mark Stoops Show, This Is Kentucky Basketball, the Matthew Mitchell Show and the Nick Mingione Show.

 BBN TV will be available digitally on Friday nights and through UK Sports Network television affiliates on Saturday. An expanded list of UK Sports Network television affiliates, which includes Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Atlantic, will be distributed early next week with airtimes for each affiliate.

 The program will premiere digitally on UKathletics.com, YouTube and the Kentucky Wildcats Facebook page Aug. 30. UK Sports Network television affiliates will debut the show Aug. 31. The first episode of BBN TV features Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart in-studio as a guest, a 1-on-1 conversation with UK football head coach Mark Stoops and expert analysis of UK football’s season-opener against Toledo.

 WKYT, the official station of UK Athletics, will produce the show in conjunction with JMI Sports, the University of Kentucky’s multimedia rights partner. TJ Beisner, director of digital media and content development for JMI Sports, will oversee the project along with WKYT’s Dick Gabriel.

 In conjunction with BBN TV, the UK Sports Network is launching BBN Radio, a weekly insider’s look at UK Athletics, hosted by Darren Headrick, the voice of UK baseball and UK women’s basketball, and a rotating cast of University of Kentucky coaches and student-athletes, as well as UK Sports Network talent.

 BBN Radio replaces Big Blue Weekly in the 7-8 p.m. time slot on Monday nights and will follow the UK HealthCare Mark Stoops Show in the fall and the UK Healthcare John Calipari Show in the winter and spring. The show will provide insight straight from University of Kentucky coaches and student-athletes, as well as an opportunity for fans to have their voices heard each week through phone calls and social media interactions.

 BBN Radio premieres Aug. 26 following The UK Healthcare Mark Stoops Show and will feature Barnhart as the first guest. The show is available on all UK Sports Network radio affiliates.