Big Ten Network Adds OSU, U-M Alums to Broadcast Team

CHICAGO

– The Big Ten Network has added
nine veteran broadcasters to complete its college football roster of on-air
talent. The announcement was made Tuesday by Big Ten Network President Mark
Silverman and Executive Producer Leon Schweir.

These nine
professionals will round out the network’s game-day announce teams. The group
includes the award-winning Roger Twibell, longtime ABC Sports journalist; ESPN
college football analyst and former Ohio State quarterback Mike Tomczak; Mark
Neely, whose resume includes Major League Baseball on ESPN; the versatile Jim
Kelly, who has worked for CBS, ESPN and CNBC; former 11-year NFL veteran
Richard Baldinger; NFL on FOX veteran Scott Graham; former University of Michigan
tight end Derrick Walker; Ron Thulin, who bring 27 years of broadcasting
experience; and former Ohio State running back Butler By’not’e.

“We are
tremendously pleased to add such a talented group of broadcasters to our
game-day lineup,” Silverman said. “I have no doubt that fans will enjoy their
expertise and knowledge on Big Ten Network football Saturdays.”

“This is a
great blend of play-by-play announcers and analysts who bring terrific
experience from both on and off the field,” Schweir said. “Each one of these
individuals will enhance the quality of the Big Ten Network’s football
coverage.”

Twibell
brings 35 years of experience to the Big Ten Network. He has most recently
served as a play-by-play announcer for ABC Sports. Twibell’s career highlights
include a six-year stint as the host of SportsCenter and serving as a
commentator on ABC’s coverage of the World Cup. He won a New England Emmy for
excellence in play-by-play announcing.

Former

Ohio

State

quarterback Mike Tomczak will pair
with Twibell on game-days. Tomczak was the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes’
1984 Big Ten Championship team. He won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie with the
1985 Chicago Bears and spent the last seven of his 15 years in the NFL with the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Most recently, he was a college football analyst for ESPN.

Neely will
team with former

Minnesota
head coach Glen Mason to form one of the announce teams. Neely has worked major
league baseball games for ESPN. His resume includes college baseball super
regionals, Little League World Series and most recently, the Triple-A All-Star
Game. Neely’s experience with ESPN Regional includes college basketball,
football, volleyball, soccer and the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Swimming and Diving
Championships.

Noted for
his versatility, Kelly has covered everything from basketball to bowling, from
hockey to horse racing. He is the host of CNBC’s Senior PGA Tour coverage.
Kelly’s experience includes the calling the NFL, NBA and Belmont Stakes on CBS.
He is the previous recipient of a Cable Ace Award for his coverage of the

America ’s Cup
sailing race.

Kelly will
be joined in the booth by former NFL veteran Richard Baldinger. Baldinger was
an all-conference offensive lineman at

Wake

Forest
before spending a combined 12 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, New York
Giants, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. He joined CBS Sports as a
game analyst for The NFL on CBS in August 2004 and has served as an analyst for
FOX Sports on NFL Europe games. Baldinger’s brothers, Brian and Gary, also
played in the NFL.

Graham
spent 13 years working Philadelphia Phillies’ broadcasts and worked four years
on NFL and NFL Europe games for FOX Sports. His college basketball experience
includes play-by-play for

Philadelphia
’s Big Five Games and the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Graham
will work Big Ten Network telecasts with former

University of

Michigan
tight end Derrick Walker. The native of

Glenwood
,

Ill. , was a member of

Michigan ’s 1986 and 1988 Big Ten Championship
teams before enjoying a nine-year career in the NFL, primarily with the San
Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Thulin, a
32-year television veteran, has handled play-by-play duties for FOX Sports Net,
ABC, ESPN, TBS and TNT. Thulin spent the last five years alongside new Big Ten
Network teammate Charles Davis on TBS’ Big 12 and Pac-10 college football
broadcasts. He has also covered the NBA on TNT, the 1991 Pan Am Games, the 1992
and 1994 Winter Olympics, the 1994 Goodwill Games and countless events for
ESPN.

By’not’e
will join Thulin on game days. The former running back starred at

Ohio

State
from 1990-93 before playing two years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and Carolina
Panthers. The speedy By’not’e also ran Ohio State’s Big Ten championship track
team as a member of the 4×400 relay team along with another future NFL running
back, Robert Smith.

The
announcers join the previously released studio team of Dave Revsine, Gerry
DiNardo and Howard Griffith and the game-day broadcast teams of Thom Brennaman
and Charles Davis, Wayne Larrivee and Chris Martin.

The
official launch of the Big Ten Network comes Aug. 30, two days before the
kick-off of the 2007 Big Ten college football season.Big Ten Tonight, a nightly
studio show hosted by Dave Revsine, will preview the upcoming season and
closely examine all of the weekend’s conference teams in action. The network
will televise more live events in HD than any other new network in television
history. The network recently announced a commitment to gender equality by
2010, when all Big Ten Network -controlled television, Internet and mobile media
will provide equal men’s and women’s athletic coverage.