FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

ANALYSTS DOUG FLUTIE AND MIKE MAYOCK TO SWAP BROADCAST POSITIONS FOR SATURDAY’S NO. 18 NOTRE DAME-NORTHWESTERN MATCHUP AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

Flutie Moves to Broadcast Booth Alongside Dan Hicks; Mayock to Provide
In-Depth Xs-And-Os Analysis From Sidelines

Notre Dame Pre-Game Show Countdown To Kickoff Begins at 3 p.m. ET Live on NBC with Liam McHugh, Hines Ward and Mayock

James Madison at Richmond Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 12, 2014 – NBC Sports Group college football analysts Doug Flutie and Mike Mayock will swap broadcast positions this Saturday, when the No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish return to Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., to face the Northwestern Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET with Countdown to Kickoff, NBC’s Notre Dame pre-game show.

Flutie, who has served as a sideline analyst for NBC’s first five Notre Dame games this season, moves to the broadcast booth this weekend alongside NBC’s Notre Dame Football play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks. Mayock, who has manned the booth for all Fighting Irish home games since 2010, shifts to sideline analyst for Saturday’s game to provide in-depth Xs-and-Os commentary from field level. Kathryn Tappen continues as sideline reporter.

“Mike is one of the top Xs-and-Os commentators in football. The sideline analyst role will allow him to dissect the game from field level and present his findings to viewers at strategic times throughout the broadcast,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports & NBCSN. “Doug is synonymous with college football and is an experienced booth analyst. We’re excited to see how this new arrangement plays out on Saturday.”

The Fighting Irish (7-2) return to South Bend where they are a perfect 4-0 this season, and look to rebound following a 55-31 loss at No. 9 Arizona State last weekend. The Wildcats (3-6) boast wins over Big Ten foes Penn State and Wisconsin this season. This Saturday marks the 48th game between Notre Dame and Northwestern, but the first meeting since Sept. 2, 1995, when the Wildcats upset the Fighting Irish in the season opener. Notre Dame boasts a 37-8-2 advantage in the all-time series, dating back to 1889.

Liam McHugh will host Countdown To Kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, on-site at Notre Dame Stadium. He will be joined by Mayock and two-time Super Bowl champion Hines Ward. McHugh, Mayock and Ward will also manage halftime coverage, as well as the post-game show, which will air on NBCSN.

 

JAMES MADISON AT (NO. 13) RICHMOND – SATURDAY AT 12:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN will present Colonial Athletic Association showdown this weekend, when the No. 13 Richmond Spiders host the James Madison Dukes at 12:30 p.m. ET. Both teams enter Saturday’s game with identical 7-3 records overall, and 4-2 conference records. The Dukes have won five straight games, while Richmond dropped its most recent game at Maine to snap its own five-game winning streak.

Paul Burmeister (play-by-play) and Anthony Herron (analyst) will call the action from E. Claiborne Robins Stadium in Richmond, Va.

 

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA ONLINE & APP: NBC Sports Live Extra — the NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream this weekend’s Notre Dame-North Carolina and William & Mary-New Hampshire college football games.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

NBC Sports Live Extra online will feature a simulcast of the broadcast feed in full HD quality plus one additional online-only bonus camera. The video player will include picture-in-picture capability and full DVR functionality, allowing the user to pause the live video and even review plays in “slo-mo.”

Sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen will provide live in-game tweets from the sideline from @NDonNBC on Twitter. Additionally, fans can watch in-game highlights, live coverage of the Notre Dame and visiting teams’ bands at halftime, as well as live postgame footage that will include head coach Brian Kelly’s press conference.

 

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL ON NBC

Following this Saturday’s game against Northwestern, NBC Sports Group’s presents its final Notre Dame football broadcast of the season on Saturday, Nov. 22, when the Fighting Irish host the Louisville Cardinals.

The following is the NBC Sports Group 2014 Notre Dame Football schedule (all times ET)

Date Opponent Pre-Game Network Game Time Network
Saturday, Nov 15 Northwestern 3 p.m. NBC 3:30 p.m. NBC
Saturday, Nov 22 Louisville 3 p.m. NBC 3:30 p.m. NBC

 

NBCSPORTS.com

NBCSports.com will again continue its Notre Dame Football coverage though its Notre Dame Central section. Notre Dame will also be featured within NBC Sports Talk with its popular Inside The Irish blog written by Notre Dame Football insider Keith Arnold.

COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO

For the second-straight year, Comcast SportsNet Chicago will continue its expanded coverage of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football via its partnership with NBC Sports by providing additional content to help power NBCSports.com’s popular Notre Dame Central section (http://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/notre-dame-central).  Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Notre Dame Football “Insider” JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) from CSNChicago.com, will serve as the primary beat reporter in providing up-to-the-minute Fighting Irish news and analysis, columns, game previews/recaps, interviews and much more.

SAME DAY HOME GAME REPLAYS –Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide a same day replay of this Saturday’s Notre Dame home game against North Carolina. Additional replays include Northwestern (Nov. 15) and Louisville (Nov. 22). (NOTE: Replay airings to regularly take place on these Saturdays at 11 p.m.; fans are urged to consult CSNChicago.com for exact air times).

HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY’s WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE – CSNChicago.com will provide a live stream of Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly’s weekly press conference, as he will address the prior weekend’s game, along with detailing his game plan against the team’s upcoming opponent.  Coach Kelly’s weekly press conference, which will take place from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., will be live streamed every Tuesday throughout the season at 11 a.m.

“INSIDE NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL” w/BRIAN KELLY – Once again, Comcast SportsNet will be the local TV home for “Inside Notre Dame Football” with Head Coach Brian Kelly this season.  The weekly, half-hour show will feature key highlights, along with detailed discussion & analysis regarding the team’s previous game and an X’s and O’s preview of their upcoming opponent. Fans can follow Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s @CSNIrish Twitter handle for the very latest Fighting Irish news and updates 24/7.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–