BTN Announces On-Air Talent for 2019 Football Season

BTN today announced its broadcast teams and studio talent for the 2019 football season, the network?s 13^th covering the Big Ten Conference. The on-air lineup includes a mix of familiar faces and new personalities set to cover the 150^th season of college football.

Game broadcasts:

Lead broadcaster Kevin Kugler will once again be joined by two-time NFL All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl Champion Matt Millen, along with Rick Pizzo handling reporting duties from the sideline. Kugler, Millen and Pizzo will head to the Big House in week one for the first primetime opener in Michigan Football history as the Wolverines host Middle Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. ET.

James Laurinaitis, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time consensus first team All-American at Ohio State, will share a booth with play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin and sideline reporter Elise Menaker. The trio will call Penn State?s home opener in Happy Valley versus Idaho on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Now in her third year calling football games on BTN, play-by-play announcer Lisa Byington will be partnered with yet another consensus first team All-American linebacker in J Leman. The duo will be on the call week one when the Fighting Illini host Akron in Champaign at noon ET. Byington will also serve as a reporter on select game broadcasts.

Former NFL Vice Presidents of Officiating Mike Pereira (fourth season) and Dean Blandino (third season), along with former Big Ten Official Dick Honig (fourth season), will also return to BTN as rules analysts.

2019 BTN Broadcast teams (play-by-play/analyst/reporter):

Kevin Kugler/Matt Millen/Rick Pizzo

Brandon Gaudin/James Laurinaitis/Elise Menaker

Lisa Byington/J Leman

Additional Play-by-Play Announcers: Joe Beninati and Mike Monaco
Additional Analysts: Stanley Jackson, Chuck Long and Shaun O?Hara

Studio:

Hosts Dave Revsine, Mike Hall and Pizzo will once again anchor studio coverage for BTN, alongside Coley Harvey who will make his debut with BTN in a reporting role. They will be joined by an accomplished group of analysts, including new additions in three-time national champion coach Urban Meyer, two-time All-Big Ten defensive tackle and Michigan Wolverine Mike Martin and former San Diego Chargers and Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Joshua Perry. Martin, Meyer and Perry will become a part of an experienced roster, which also includes BTN and FOX Sports veterans Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith, Glen Mason and Dave Wannstedt.

The hosts and analysts will rotate among a fall football programming lineup with daily BTN Live Updates, appearances on The B1G Show and Saturday?s on BTN Tailgate, B1G Football Game Break, B1G Football Postgame and The Final Drive.