BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech Athletics and Playfly Sports announced today that ESPN Blacksburg will be the new radio home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. The multi-year partnership will provide New River Valley fans with live coverage of Hokies football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and the Coaches Show. Additionally, Bill Ross, Mike Burnop, Zach Mackey and Evan Hughes will continue in their roles on the Virginia Tech Sports Network.
ESPN Blacksburg, Virginia Tech’s flagship station, will broadcast Hokie sports on 93.1 FM, 97.1 FM and 810 AM. Additionally, Hokie football and men’s basketball programming will be simulcast on WZFM 101.3 FM, 105.9 FM and 1430 AM.
ESPN Blacksburg was recently acquired by Underdog Media LLC of Burlington, North Carolina. Owner Chuck Marsh is committed to a successful relaunch of ESPN Blacksburg with Virginia Tech as its anchor team. ESPN Blacksburg will host the Hokies in a new daily show debuting soon.
“As a longtime fan of Virginia Tech athletics, we are excited to be a part of the Virginia Tech tradition and utilize these storied broadcast stations for Virginia Tech and Playfly Sports,” said Chuck Marsh, general manager of Underdog Media LLC, which inked the deal with radio stations WPIN, WKEX and WZFM.
Now in his 30th season as radio play-by-play announcer for Virginia Tech football, Bill Ross is a familiar face on-air and will continue to serve in that role on game days alongside Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Mike Burnop. Burnop, a former Hokies star, is in his 42nd season as the play-by-play announcer for Virginia Tech football and men’s basketball.
Returning to join the duo on the football sideline will be Zach Mackey, who will be in his third season as the play-by-play announcer for Virginia Tech men’s basketball, while Evan Hughes will continue as the play-by-play announcer for Virginia Tech women’s basketball and baseball.
“Virginia Tech remains committed to ensuring fans can connect with the Hokies wherever and however they listen, whether in Blacksburg or elsewhere – by radio, satellite, internet or app,” said Brad Worthman, Virginia Tech executive associate AD/external relations and advancement.
The Virginia Tech Sports Network will broadcast football, men’s basketball and Tech Talk Live on more than 35 radio affiliates across the state. Broadcasts will also be available on Sirius XM satellite radio and streamed live on Hokiesports.com and the Hokiesports app. Fans can find a complete list of viewing options on Hokiesports.com.
Video elements will be added to several broadcasts, including the Football Hokie Tailgate Show and Tech Talk Live livestreams, to give fans an inside look.
“We are excited to announce that ESPN Blacksburg will be the new home for Hokie sports on NRV. We look forward to working with Underdog Media, LLC on newly revamped programming to bring Hokie fans the latest on Virginia Tech,” said Sam Shauf, general manager, Virginia Tech Sports Network.
Earlier this year, Virginia Tech and Playfly Sports, an emerging leader in sports marketing, media and technology, announced a new multimedia rights agreement in which Playfly will serve as the exclusive multimedia rights holder and sponsorship sales arm for Virginia Tech.
About Virginia Tech Sports Properties
Virginia Tech Sports Properties is the exclusive locally based multimedia rights holder for Virginia Tech Athletics. As part of the Playfly Sports Properties portfolio of approximately 40 collegiate and high school state association properties, the Virginia Tech Sports Properties team connects the brand to Virginia Tech’s passionate and loyal fan base. Through broadcast, in-arena, experiential and technology-based marketing and media solutions, Playfly Sports Properties’ fully scalable platform provides marketers with unparalleled access to the most engaged audiences at the local and national level. Playfly Sports Properties is a division of Playfly Sports. To contact the Virginia Tech Sports Properties team, please visit www.playfly.com/properties.
About Playfly Sports
Playfly Sports is a sports media, marketing and technology company with a focus on teams, leagues, brands and networks. With a “fandom as a service” mindset, Playfly’s focus on reaching, engaging, monetizing and measuring fandom with a consultative, data-driven approach gives its partners and brands a competitive advantage. Playfly connects over 2,000 brand partners with approximately 83% of US sports fans. Through its proprietary platform, the company offers scalable, data-driven marketing, technology and media solutions with capabilities including exclusive MMR management, sponsorship sales and activation, streaming, consulting, ticket/premium sales and new platforms and technologies to drive revenue. Founded in September 2020, Playfly Sports currently has approximately 1,000 team members in 43 US states, dedicated to maximizing the impact of passionate local sports fans. Follow Playfly Sports on social media @PlayflySports or visit www.playfly.com
