FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015
NBC SPORTS GROUP AND NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL CELEBRATE 25TH SEASON ON NBC
Season Kicks Off with Notre Dame Hosting Texas on Saturday Night, September 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
2015 Schedule Includes Primetime Matchups with Texas, USC and Boston College
Shamrock Series vs. Boston College Airs Saturday Night, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN from Fenway Park in Boston
Doug Flutie to Serve as Lead Game Analyst; Joins Play-by-Play Announcer Dan Hicks and Reporter Kathryn Tappen
Jonathan Vilma Joins Coverage as Pre-Game and Halftime Show Analyst
Stamford, Conn. – August 5, 2015 – NBC Sports Group and Notre Dame will kick off the 25th season of one of the most successful partnerships in sports, when the “Fighting Irish” host the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, September 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
NBC Sports Group’s coverage is also highlighted by primetime match-ups vs. storied rival USC on Saturday, October 17, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC from South Bend, Ind., and vs. Boston College on Saturday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, as part of the Shamrock Series at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. It will be NBCSN’s first-ever Notre Dame Football telecast. NBCSN has been the home of Notre Dame Football shoulder programming and Notre Dame Hockey for more than four years.
“For more than two decades, Notre Dame Football has been one of the pillars of NBC Sports,” said NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus. “Since the formation of NBC Sports Group in 2011 — which combined broadcast, cable, digital, and regional assets — we’ve increased our Notre Dame content by presenting longer pre- and post-game shows, creating original programming, and expanding to college hockey. As we move forward, we’ll continue to explore how to bring more ‘Fighting Irish’ programming to fans.”
“There are only a select few relationships in sports television that have endured as long as Notre Dame football and NBC,” said Jack Swarbrick, University of Notre Dame Vice President and Athletics Director. “As we together mark and celebrate our 25th season, we also look forward to growing and expanding our collaboration over the next decade.”
“People are the reason why this partnership is special, and why it has lasted so long,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “Whether it was Father Malloy (former University of Notre Dame president Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C.) or Father Jenkins (current University president Rev. John I Jenkins, C.S.C.), Dick Rosenthal (former University athletics director) or Jack Swarbrick (current University athletics director and vice president) — and many others — Notre Dame officials have always conducted themselves with honesty, transparency and integrity. We are privileged to be their media partners, and hope to be so indefinitely.”
This year’s Notre Dame on NBC schedule also features live coverage of Notre Dame home games against Georgia Tech on Saturday, September 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET; UMass on Saturday, September 26, at 3:30 p.m. ET; Navy on Saturday, October 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET; and Wake Forest on Saturday, November 14, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie will serve as lead analyst for NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2015 Notre Dame Football season, continuing a role he began at the end of last season. Flutie will be joined by veteran play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks, and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen.
Super Bowl Champion, BCS National Champion and former University of Miami LB Jonathan Vilma will join the broadcast team as a pre-game and halftime analyst. Vilma will work alongside Notre Dame on NBC pre-game and halftime show veterans Liam McHugh (host), and Hines Ward (analyst), a two-time Super Bowl champion and former University of Georgia QB/WR.
Listed below is a complete schedule of NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2015 Notre Dame Football season.
| DATE | TIME (ET) | OPPONENT | LOCATION | NETWORK |
| Sat., Sept. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Texas | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Sept. 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Georgia Tech | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Sept 26 | 3:30 p.m. | UMass | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Navy | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 7:30 p.m. | USC | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Wake Forest | South Bend, Ind. | NBC |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston College | Boston, Mass. | NBCSN* |
*Shamrock Series game from Fenway Park
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 all Notre Dame Football home 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.
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 third 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 – Beginning with the team’s home/season opener, Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide a same day replay of every Notre Dame home game produced by NBC Sports (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. CT.
— NBC SPORTS GROUP —
