Alex Roux, BTN.com editor, May 19, 2017

Big Ten fans know there can never be enough ways to consume sports content surrounding your favorite teams.

[btn-post-package-v2]

That's why I'm excited to host a new podcast that will be available on Big Ten Network platforms, featuring interviews with Big Ten-related personalities. Podcasts have evolved into a wildly popular medium, especially in the world of sports talk. My goal is to have entertaining discussions with former and current athletes and coaches, influential media members and anyone else with unique insight or perspectives on topics Big Ten fans want to hear about.

I hope to put out several episodes per month; they'll be distributed on iTunes' Big Ten Football collection and school-specific feeds, and each episode will be available for streaming and downloading on SoundCloud, as well. We'll also help distribute them to Big Ten fans everywhere by putting links on our Facebook and Twitter pages for each episode. I'll be tweeting out every episode personally from @arouxBTN.

My first guest in the debut episode of the BTN podcast is Nicole Auerbach, a Michigan grad who covers college football and basketball for USA Today and also is a regular college football contributor on BTN.

Listen to the entire 45-minute discussion by clicking "Play" in the embedded SoundCloud player at the top of the page. We got into a wide range of topics during our conversation, and I pulled some interesting snippets below.

(Skip to 2:37) On Nicole's experiences covering the Olympics last summer in Rio.

(5:45) On her time at Michigan, including:

  • (6:38) A girl in her dorm hallway encouraged her to look into sports writing freshman year, and she ran into that same girl years later at Michigan as a USA Today sports writer.
  • (18:37) How legendary hockey coach Red Berenson helped student reporters learn about hockey and reporting during her time there.
  • (20:00) On how she is one of a small group of women who gives college football opinions and analysis on a national TV network.

(38:55) On, as a Heisman Trophy voter, who she could see emerging from the Big Ten next season as a contender for the Heisman.

(40:24) On if she thinks the Big Ten?s national title drought in basketball is a fluke or the product of a larger pattern.

(44:27) On Michigan football?s trip to Rome, and if she thinks more football programs will do international trips in the future.

***

Thanks for listening, and keep an eye on Facebook, Twitter, iTunes and SoundCloud for future episodes!