UK Sports Network

The UK Sports Network, historically known as the Big Blue Sports Network (BBSN) and also formerly known as the UK IMG Sports Network, is the radio and television network of the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's and women's sports teams. It consists of seven over-the-air television affiliates, two regional sports networks, and 44 radio stations in Kentucky and neighboring states.[1]

UK Sports Network
TypeRadio network
Television network
Country
HeadquartersLexington, Kentucky
Broadcast area
Kentucky
Indiana (limited)
Ohio (limited)
West Virginia (limited)
OwnerJMI Sports (UK Sports & Campus Marketing)
Affiliation(s)Kentucky Wildcats
Affiliates44 (Radio)
7 (Television)
Official website
Radio affiliates
Television affiliates

Except for the Blue/White game, beginning in the 2012–2013 season, all men's basketball broadcasts on Fox Sports South began to be produced by Fox Sports, using their graphics and music.

History

In 2007, HOST Communications, a college sports marketing company based in the university's home city of Lexington that had operated the Big Blue Sports Network, was purchased by the entertainment management company IMG. However, the name of the network did not change until the 2010–11 academic year.

Sale of media rights to JMI Sports

On June 23, 2014, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced that JMI Sports, owned by former San Diego Padres owner John Moores, had been awarded the multimedia rights to all University of Kentucky sports teams. UK's contract with JMI Sports was to initially begin upon the expiration of the university's contract with IMG College in April 2015. The university's contract with JMI include:

  • Radio rights to UK's football, men's and women's basketball and baseball games (Television rights are covered by Southeastern Conference broadcasting arrangements, including the SEC Network);
  • Stadium and arena corporate signage and game programs for all home UK events, other than those hosted at Rupp Arena (Rupp Arena corporate signage is managed by Learfield Sports (Rupp Arena Sports and Entertainment Properties) under a contract with the Lexington Center Corporation, who manages the arena for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.);
  • Naming rights to university athletics facilities and premium areas;
  • Sponsorship on UKathletics.com;
  • Game sponsorships and game promotions;
  • Coaches' endorsements;
  • Pre and postgame television shows and specials and postseason highlight DVDs;
  • Video features on video boards, other than at Rupp Arena (which are also managed by Learfield Sports due to the same ownership and management reasons above);
  • Opportunities to develop UK Athletics Corporate Partnership Program; and
  • The potential, at the university's discretion, to market campus multimedia rights, creating the potential for an integrated approach to multimedia rights and marketing.[2]

On October 27, 2014, JMI Sports announced that they had bought out the final year of IMG's contract with the University of Kentucky. As part of that agreement with IMG, JMI immediately took over management of the entire University of Kentucky's Sports Marketing program, including the UK Sports Network.[3]

On January 27, 2020, it was announced that Lexington Center's overall naming rights were sold to Central Bank, a local community bank, by the Lexington Center Corporation and JMI Sports. The Rupp name will continue to receive primacy in the fourteen-year agreement for the arena portion of the complex, and be known as "Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center".[4]

On-air personalities

Current

  • Tom Leach – play-by-play commentator (Football 1997–present, Men's Basketball, 2001–present) [5]
  • Mike Pratt – color analyst (2001–present) [5]

Former[5]

  • Claude Sullivan, play-by-play commentator (men's basketball and football 1948–1967)
  • Cawood Ledford, play-by-play commentator (1953–1992)
  • Ralph Hacker – color analyst (1973–1993), play-by-play commentator (men's basketball 1993–2001, football 1993–1997)
  • JB Faulconer, play by play commentator (1944–1953) men’s basketball (Rupp) Men’s football (Bryant)
  • Neil Price – play-by-play commentator (Women's Basketball, 2005–2017)

Over-the air television affiliates

Current

City of license (Market) Station Channel Primary affiliation Notes
Bowling Green WBKO
WBKO-DT2
13.1
13.2
ABC
Fox
Salem, Indiana (Louisville) WBKI[6] 58.1 The CW Formerly WMYO; replaced the original WBKI in 2017.
Cape Girardeau, MO KBSI-DT2 22.2 MyNetworkTV Simulcast of WDKA/Paducah
Evansville, IN WTVW 7.1 The CW
Hazard WYMT-TV 57.1 CBS Semi-satellite of WKYT/Lexington
Huntington, WVA (Charleston) WSAZ 3.1 NBC
Lexington WKYT-TV 27.1
27.2
CBS
The CW
Flagship station of the network's television division
Paducah WDKA 49.1 MyNetworkTV Simulcast over KBSI-DT2/Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Former

City of license/Market Station Notes
Hopkinsville WKAG-CA This station went defunct in 2011.
Louisville WDRB Replaced by WBKI in 2016.

Regional sports networks

Network Area Served
Fox Sports South Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Fox Sports Ohio Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Northwest Pennsylvania, West Virginia, southwest New York
FCS Atlantic Coverage areas of FS Ohio and FS South, plus Florida

Radio

All listed radio stations are sorted by city of license. Areas served by these stations will vary. Most affiliates air coverage of football and men's basketball, unless otherwise specified.[7][8][9]

Callsign Frequency Band City State Network status
WLAP 630 AM Lexington Kentucky Flagship
WBUL-FM 98.1 FM Lexington Kentucky Flagship
WCMI 1340 AM Ashland Kentucky Affiliate
WCBL 1290 AM Benton Kentucky Affiliate
WLFX 106.7 FM Berea Kentucky Affiliate
WMMG 1140 AM Brandenburg Kentucky Affiliate
WMMG-FM 93.5 FM Brandenburg Kentucky Affiliate
WGGC 95.1 FM Bowling Green Kentucky Affiliate
WSEK-FM 93.9 FM Burnside-Somerset Kentucky Affiliate
WKDZ 1110 AM Cadiz Kentucky Affiliate
WKDZ-FM 106.5 FM Cadiz Kentucky Affiliate
WCKQ 104.1 FM Campbellsville Kentucky Affiliate
WAIN 1270 AM Columbia Kentucky Affiliate
WAIN-FM 93.5 FM Columbia Kentucky Affiliate
WCTT 680 AM Corbin Kentucky Affiliate
WCTT-FM 107.3 FM Corbin Kentucky Affiliate
WCMI-FM 92.7 FM Catlettsburg-Ashland-Huntington Kentucky Affiliate
WFLE 1060 AM Flemingsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WFLE-FM 95.1 FM Flemingsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WFRT 103.7 FM Frankfort Kentucky Affiliate
WUGO 99.7 FM Grayson Kentucky Affiliate
WCBL-FM 99.1 FM Grand Rivers-Benton-Calvert City Kentucky Affiliate
WLGC-FM 105.7 FM Greenup Kentucky Affiliate
WKYA 105.5 FM Greenville Kentucky Men's basketball
WXBC 104.3 FM Hardinsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WFSR 970 AM Harlan Kentucky Affiliate
WTUK 105.1 FM Harlan Kentucky Affiliate
WSGS 101.1 FM Hazard Kentucky Affiliate
WSON 860 AM Henderson Kentucky Affiliate
WHOP 1230 AM Hopkinsville Kentucky Affiliate
W237BV 95.3 FM Hopkinsville Kentucky n/a (WHOP simulcast)
WHOP-FM 98.7 FM Hopkinsville Kentucky Affiliate
WJRS 104.9 FM Jamestown-Russell Springs Kentucky Affiliate
WIFX-FM 94.3 FM Jenkins-Pikeville-Hazard Kentucky Affiliate
WRNZ 105.1 FM Lancaster-Danville Kentucky Affiliate
WKHG 104.9 FM Leitchfield Kentucky Affiliate
WFTG 1400 AM London Kentucky Affiliate
WWEL 103.9 FM London Kentucky Affiliate
WHAS 840 AM Louisville Kentucky Football/men's basketball
WKJK 1080 AM Louisville Kentucky Women's basketball
WKTG 93.9 FM Madisonville Kentucky Affiliate
WKLB 1200 AM Manchester Kentucky Affiliate
W283AH 104.5 FM Manchester Kentucky n/a (WKLB simulcast)
WLLE 102.1 FM Mayfield Kentucky Affiliate
WNGO 1320 AM Mayfield Kentucky Affiliate
W238AN 95.5 FM Mayfield Kentucky n/a (WNGO simulcast)
WFTM 1240 AM Maysville Kentucky Affiliate
WFTM-FM 95.9 FM Maysville Kentucky Affiliate
WFTM 101.7 FM Monticello Kentucky Affiliate
WIVY 96.3 FM Morehead Kentucky Affiliate
WMSK 1550 AM Morganfield Kentucky Affiliate
WBKR 92.5 FM Owensboro Kentucky Affiliate
WOMI 1490 AM Owensboro Kentucky Affiliate
WKYX 570 AM Paducah Kentucky Affiliate
WSIP 1490 AM Paintsville Kentucky Affiliate
WSIP-FM 98.9 FM Paintsville Kentucky Affiliate
WPKE 1240 AM Pikeville Kentucky Affiliate
WDHR 93.1 FM Pikeville Kentucky Affiliate
WDOC 1310 AM Prestonsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WQHY 95.5 FM Prestonsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WWKY-FM 104.9 FM Princeton Kentucky Affiliate
WPKY 1580 AM Princeton Kentucky Affiliate
WREF 97.7 FM Sebree-Madisonville Kentucky Affiliate
WAKY-FM 103.5 FM Radcliff-Elizabethtown-Fort Knox Kentucky Football/men's basketball
W243CU 96.5 FM Sebree-Henderson Kentucky n/a (WSON simulcast)
WSFC 1240 AM Somerset Kentucky Affiliate
WMSK-FM 101.3 FM Sturgis-Morganfield Kentucky Affiliate
WXKQ-FM 103.9 FM Whitesburg Kentucky Affiliate
WTCW 920 AM Whitesburg Kentucky Affiliate
WEZJ-FM 104.3 FM Williamsburg Kentucky Affiliate
WNKR 106.7 FM Williamstown-Dry Ridge Kentucky Affiliate
WCKY 1530 AM Cincinnati Ohio Affiliate
WKYX-FM 94.3 FM Golconda Illinois Affiliate
WRVC 930 AM Huntington West Virginia Football
WEKX 102.7 FM Jellico-Williamsburg Tennessee Affiliate
WDXC 102.3 FM Pound, Virginia Virginia Affiliate

Notable former affiliates

City of license
(Area served)
Station[7] Frequency Notes
Bowling Green WLBJ AM 1410 This station went defunct in 1993
Lexington WVLK AM 590 Flagship station until sometime in the late 1990s

See also

References

  1. "UK Sports Network Radio Affiliates". UKAthletics.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
  2. UK Athletics Awards Multimedia Rights to JMI Sports
  3. JMI Buys Out Contract at UK
  4. "It's Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center as naming rights agreement rebrands Lexington's premier spot". Northern Kentucky Tribune. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. 2015–16 Kentucky Basketball Media Guide, page 5
  6. http://www.nationofblue.com/big-blue-sports-network-will-air-before-the-madness-special-friday-evening/
  7. 2014–15 Kentucky Men's Basketball Media Guide, page 8.
  8. 2015–16 Kentucky Men's Basketball Media Guide, page 6.
  9. 2015 Kentucky Football Media Guide, page 199.
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