CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced today that Learfield Sports’ Fighting Illini Sports Properties has secured WSCR 670 The Score as the newest radio affiliate on the statewide Illini Sports Network. Thomas appeared live on the Mully & Hanley Show this morning, sharing news of the announcement with co-hosts Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley.
Terms of the new relationship with CBS Radio-owned 670 AM call for the station to carry Illini basketball starting with the 2013-14 athletic season and football in 2014. The multi-year agreement encompasses football and men’s basketball. Additionally, WSCR 670 The Score will broadcast Illinois’ coaches’ shows for men’s basketball and football concurrent with the respective schedule. While a new alignment has been formed with 670 AM, long-time radio affiliate WIND-AM 560 will continue to carry football games and coaches’ shows throughout 2013 to listeners in the Chicago market.
The Illini Sports Network is overseen by Fighting Illini Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for University of Illinois Athletics and a property of Learfield Sports. The collegiate marketer negotiated the affiliate relationship with the 50,000-watt, all sports clear channel station on behalf of the university.
“This is very exciting news for Fighting Illini fans throughout the Midwest,” Thomas said. “The signal strength and coverage area of WSCR 670 The Score is tremendous, giving our fans the very best ability to listen to Fighting Illini football and basketball. WSCR 670 The Score has an outstanding reputation as an all-sports station in the Chicago market, which is a great asset in spreading the Fighting Illini brand through the region. We appreciate our relationship with WIND-AM 560 over the past several years, and through the upcoming football season. It’s been a great partnership. We look forward to working with WSCR 670 The Score in any way possible as our agreement begins with the 2013-14 men’s basketball season.”
Rod Zimmerman, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio in Chicago added, “We’re extremely proud to carry the Fighting Illini in the coming years, and we look forward to delivering the game action and coaches’ shows to our listening audience in the Chicago area and beyond to help extend the brand over the airwaves. We’re also pleased that we’re able to continue to clear DePaul Blue Demons’ games on WSCR when not conflicting with an Illini game.”
“WSCR has incredible reach not just in the Chicago market, but much of the U.S. and parts of Canada, and we’re pleased to be able to bring the Fighting Illini to its listening audience,” said Fighting Illini Sports Properties’ General Manager Chris Andrews. “We wanted to tap into 670’s strong signal strength and reputation as an exceptional AM station to reach as many Illinois fans as possible.”
In addition to Illinois, Learfield Sports manages the multimedia rights for more than 50 collegiate institutions and associations and titles the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup with NACDA and USA Today. Its exclusive sports programming reaches more than 50 million television households nationally and delivers nearly 17,000 hours of radio programming on more than 1,000 radio stations. To learn more about the company’s 40-year history and comprehensive collegiate portfolio, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
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