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Gameday crew coming to Troy

By Ken Rogers, The Messenger
Troy University's nationally televised football home opener against Missouri on Sept. 9 is ready for prime time.

ESPN's Gameday crew is expected to be in Troy for the game, the network has told university officials. ESPN2 will televise the Trojans' game against the 18th-ranked Tigers at 6 p.m.

The elite broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso - which has developed an almost cult-like following of college football fans across the country - tentatively is scheduled to work the game. Sideline reporter Jill Arrington, formerly of CBS, joins the crew this season.

"It's phenomenal," Troy assistant athletics director Scott Farmer said Monday. "I think it will add to the excitement that's already around town for this game."

That buzz is there. Trojans head coach Larry Blakeney is focused on this Saturday's season opener at Marshall. But Blakeney said he's been asked more about the Missouri game than any other over the summer.

"Our people want to talk about it," he said. "ESPN's story is they have become a major factor in college football. This crew coming in here is their No. 1 crew. We're proud to have them here. I'm kind of excited to meet all of them, if they need to talk to us."

Blakeney said he expects Missouri and its quarterback, Heisman Trophy candidate Brad Smith, will draw the lion's share of interest for the game.

"But anything they'll need we'll be happy to provide," Blakeney said.

Troy athletics media relations director Ricky Hazel has worked with most of the crew when he was at Marshall.

"They're great to work with," Hazel said Monday. "They always send their best production people with them. It should be a good show."

Hazel laughed that he had more sideline volunteers to work the game than usual with the news that Arrington will be working.

"This will be our first chance to work with Jill Arrington," Hazel said. "I've worked with all the other guys before."

Hazel said that while the schedule has not been finalized, the production people generally arrive two days early for a Thursday game. The on-air talent arrives the day before.

"Those are four of the best-known broadcasters in college football," Farmer said. "It's going to be good to have them on our campus for 48 hours. It can do nothing but help you on Saturdays throughout the season. You know they'll be talking about it for a while."

Farmer said a pep rally is scheduled for around 4 p.m. on the day of the game.

"We're going to ask if at least one of them will go to the pep rally," he said. "I think they would. Corso would, wouldn't he?"

Troy's opener this Saturday at Marshall will also be televised locally. UPN-67 will air the game, which will start at 3:30 p.m. (CDT) in Huntington, W.Va.

It is part of the ESPN GamePlan package and was picked up by CSS and UPN-67. Dave Weekley is scheduled to do play-by-play and John Gregory will be the color analyst. Mark Martin is the sideline reporter.

The Troy Sports Network will broadcast all Troy games on WTBF-FM 94.7. Barry McKnight begins his third season as play-by-play man. Color analyst Jerry Miller is starting his 12th season with the Trojans. Jonathan Tomlin joins the team this season at the sideline reporter. The pregame show is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.