St. Michael's makes deal with ESPN
ESPN 1390 to broadcast St. Michael's sporting events

Karin Krisher | staff writer
kkrishner@smcvt.edu

A sign advertising ESPN Radio Alex McIntire, photo

On Aug. 28, St. Michael’s College announced an agreement with ESPN 1390 A.M WCAT radio to broadcast 27 regular season Purple Knights men’s basketball games, 22 women’s games, and seven men’s ice hockey games. The station also covers games of the Boston Red Sox, the Vermont Frost Heaves, and various University of Vermont (UVM) sporting events.

The events will be announced and broadcasted by Chris Fells, sports director of ESPN 1390 and broadcast from Burlington, Vt.

“UVM seems to get all of the attention around here,” Fells says.  “While it’s well-deserved, it’s just time that St. Michael's gets a piece of the pie.”

Thinking about the impact

Last year, the station, which came to the region in the summer of 2006, approached the college with an offer to broadcast around a half dozen St. Michael’s basketball games at no cost to the college, with Fells as the announcer for the game, Seth Cole sports information director at St. Michael’s says.

 “We jumped at the opportunity last year, and it worked out well,” says Cole, . “After seeing the initial success, we talked about a more permanent fixture.”

Tom O’Shea, head coach of the St. Michael's men’s basketball team, agrees.

 “Chris Fells is really enthusiastic, positive and upbeat,” he says.  “We enjoyed the relationship last year and wanted to expand it.”

According to Cole, the impact of the exposure the school will receive from these broadcasts is “immeasurable.”

“It’s very important in this day and age to stay connected,” Cole says. "The broadcasts can be heard over the Internet, so it’s not just people who live in this region listening. It’s the parents who live in Ohio or the alumni in California. It’s keeping our community connected even more so than they already are.”

The talk around the station

“I think the listening range will be really broad,” Fells says of the connection between the school’s sports and their listeners. “We cover all of Chittenden County down to the Bolton flats area of Vermont. Plus, with our presence on the Internet, for the first time in a very long time, alumni will be able to listen to their alma mater.”

Fells is especially excited about the fact that there are going to be 22 women’s games covered on the air.

“I believe that this is the most extensive coverage any women’s team has in the state,” he says.  “Not enough credit is given to women’s athletics. This isn’t the stone age. These women are working towards not only athletic but also academic success, and people just don’t give them any credit.”

This deal did not just come together on a whim, Fells says. It comes following on the heels of various requests from listeners to get St. Michael's athletics on the air in past years.

 “There is a lot of interest,” Fells says. “I get approached about it quite a bit, and I get quite a few phone calls asking when we will finally start coverage.”

According to Fells, the interest in broadcasting St. Michael’s sports, in combination with the station’s own sentiments about the school, made it a perfect candidate for the coverage.

“I’ve always enjoyed covering St. Michael’s athletics,” Fells says. “The people are absolutely phenomenal. The people we get along with are the ones we tend to want to cover. Nice people win.”

The athletics are not the only part of the school that will benefit from the deal. In fact, reaching out to prospective students is a large part of the appeal of this agreement, he says.

“I am a walking, living, breathing billboard for St. Michael's, whether it comes to on-the-air or off,” Fells says.  “St. Michael's has very solid athletic and academic programs, and whether it’s in the classroom or on the courts, we’re going to take every opportunity we can to give that exposure, because that’s what we’re here for.”

Guest broadcasters and excited coaches

The variety of listeners will be paralleled by the variety of announcers. While Fells will be the main voice of the games, Cole says the ESPN affiliate is hoping to provide two broadcasters for home games.  These guests could be various people. It’s possible there might some auditions, but the athletic department hasn’t explored that yet, Cole says.

Men's and women's basketball games will be broadcast from the Ross Sports Center. Photo courtesy of St. Michael's athletic department.

“There will be people from the college,” Fells says. “There will also be people from the station, like John McDevitt. And Seth (Cole) will be interesting to broadcast with as well.”

According to O’Shea, the exposure that these announcers and the station will give to St. Michael's athletics is great because it allows the teams to get the interest out to listeners.

“They’re having a show every week to talk about St. Michael's basketball,” O’Shea says.  “I hope it will provide more of a turnout for games.”

Last season, the men’s basketball team’s overall record was 16-13. This year, O’Shea doesn’t think the broadcasts will affect how the team plays, but the turnout might have an effect, he says.

“We’re just really happy that 1390 has decided to get on board with us, and hopefully we’ll give them some real good basketball,” O’Shea says.