Vol Network coverage of Tennessee Football expands to two hours prior to kickoff this season. The pregame show “Big Orange Countdown,” which debuted as a new show last year brings statewide network coverage at 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT on Thursday prior to Tennessee’s season opener versus Ball State.
The show is hosted by John Wilkerson, Brent Hubbs, former Vol wide receiver and team captain Jayson Swain (2003-06) and a rotating VFL special guest each week featuring former captain Will Overstreet (DE, 1998-2001) or Chris Brown (TE, 2004-07). For home games, Wilkerson, Hubbs, Swain and Overstreet or Brown will broadcast to a live audience at the amphitheater at Gate 21 outside Neyland Stadium. Fans can ask questions on-site or submit a question via Twitter @VolNetwork or e-mail via [email protected].
Following “Big Orange Countdown,” Bobby Rader hosts “Spotlight on the SEC” before handing things over to the game broadcast crew 25-minutes prior to kickoff. Bob Kesling begins his 24th year of calling Tennessee football games. He will be joined again by former Vol and NFL quarterback Pat Ryan who is entering his second year as color analyst. Network host John Wilkerson, spotter and contributor Brent Hubbs and sideline reporter Kasey Funderburg round out the in-game broadcast crew. Jeff Muir serves as the network’s ace statistician.
The “Big Orange Scoreboard and the Josh Heupel Show” provide complete postgame coverage. Vol Network programming is then capped each game with “The Final Scoreboard” hosted by Wilkerson, Rader and VFLs Troy Fleming (RB, 2000-03) and Erik Ainge (QB, 2004-07).
The Vol Network can be heard on over 64 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, UTsports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App, SiriusXM and the Varsity App.
-UT Athletics
