Mark Your Calendar for All-Day Football on June 30
Hey BYU football fans! If you just can’t wait til September to show your True Blue Pride, you’re in luck. Join us on Thursday, June 30, for the BYU Football Media Day SUPERCAST on BYUtv that kicks off the upcoming season.
BYUtv, who recently received a national award for Outstanding Live Game Production at the College Sports Media Awards, has broadcasted Football Media Day every year since 2011. Mikel Minor, the Senior Coordinating Producer at BYUtv Sports, explains, “This will be a day for BYU fans everywhere to celebrate all things BYU football and get excited about the upcoming season.” BYU is unique because most other elite college football teams hold their media days as part of a conference event, but when the team went independent in 2011, BYU Broadcasting seized the opportunity to host its own special summer show.
Media Day is a big part of BYU football, and this year it’s going to be bigger than ever before. During this year’s day-long SUPERCAST on BYUtv, events will be held across all BYU Broadcasting platforms: BYUtv, BYUradio, online streaming, and even social media. Minor stated that the “SUPERCAST coverage will allow fans to engage in National Media Day across all BYUB platforms with unprecedented coverage of the entire day.” This means fans will be able to tune in on any platform as we look forward to the excitement coming this fall, plus look back with a special celebration of the 20th anniversary of BYU’s 1996 Cotton Bowl winning “miracle team.”
What to expect from the SUPERCAST
Special programs for this year’s SUPERCAST will be hosted by BYU Sports Nation’s Jarom Jordan and Spencer Linton as well as BYUtv Sports reporters Lauren Francom and Dave McCann. The SUPERCAST will run nearly 24 full hours of special programing, with events starting at 6AM MT on June 30 and running until 3AM the following morning. These programs will include exclusive new shows created just for SUPERCAST, like special episodes of BYU Sports Nation and showings of some of BYU football’s past legacy games.
Dave McCann, who hosts BYUtv’s After Further Review during the regular fall season, believes that fans have more reason than ever to be excited for Football Media Day this year. “It’s the kickoff to summer hype that builds right through July into August. I imagine fan interest will be at an all time high. With a new coach and staff, it is a season of rebirth for BYU football. And, considering most of the team is back from last year’s 9-win season, expectations will be sky high, and justifiably so.”
That sentiment seems to ring true for BYU Sports Nation cohost Jarom Jordan as well. He believes “this off-season is the most compelling in BYU football history. This will be the first look at this group of coaches and players in a formal setting. What do they expect and how are things shaping up for the 2016 team? Live shows and web chats will help answer those questions on BYUtv and BYUradio.” And, true to his to-the-point nature, when asked why fans should be excited for SUPERCAST, Jordan simply stated, “It’s relevant football content in June! It’s probably going to be the greatest experience of your life.”
Celebrating the 1996 Cotton Bowl Miracle Team
The excitement surrounding the upcoming season isn’t the only reason to tune in for 2016 Football Media Day on BYUtv. Many of the key players of the 1996 Cotton Bowl winning BYU football team, including Shay Muirbrook, Omarr Morgan, and Chad Lewis, will join in to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their miraculous 14-1 season. Two key events held on June 30 will remember that team. First, at 2PM MT, a special LIVE 1996 Anniversary Show will be hosted by McCann. Said McCann, “This is one of the greatest teams ever to play at BYU and the big stars will be back to relieve some of the golden moments… which ended with a win over Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl. Fans will want to DVR this show and watch it again and again.”
Later, airing at 8PM MT, will be a special episode of BYU Sports Nation dedicated to the 1996 team. This episode will include more interviews from members of what Jordan calls the “magical 14-1 team,” and is the segment of SUPERCAST that Jordan is most personally excited for. “I loved that team. The stories from them will be awesome.” And cohost Spencer Linton agrees, noting that this very special episode of BYU Sports Nation “is going to be star-studded and loaded with great banter from members of that team.”
Perspectives on 2016’s Exciting Team
For fans most interested in the upcoming season, there will be no shortage of exciting content to prepare for the fall. Kicking off the day at 9AM MT is the State of the Program, a special event hosted by McCann during which BYU football’s new Head Coach Kalani Sitake and Offensive Coordinator Ty Detmer will address questions about spring training and what Cougar fans can expect from the upcoming season. Fans can also expect an update from Athletic Director Tom Holmoe on the program’s future, which has become a hot topic lately due to the rumors from the Big 12 about its expansion plans and the possibility of BYU joining the conference.
Directly following, from 10AM to 12PM MT, join Jarom Jordan and Spencer Linton for a special two-hour episode of BYU Sports Nation. Jordan and Linton will be joined by players and coaches of the 2016 BYU football team, and while the State of the Program will focus on big picture discussions, BYU Sports Nation will have plenty of time to dig into the players’ side of things during this special episode. Jordan is excited for this episode because it will give “more access to players and coaches than a normal show or in a normal week. We get to hear from the main players about the 2016 season for two straight hours!”
Live Web Chats with Players, Coaches, and More
As if all that weren’t enough, there will be lots of additional online content, from social media to Live Web Chats. Lauren Francom, who fans will recognize as BYUtv’s sideline reporter, will be hosting Live Web Chats at three different times throughout the day—at 8AM, 12PM, and 3PM MT. She will host BYU coaches, standout players, and a few special surprise guests. Francom explains that “the web chats were created as a more laid-back, personality-driven forum for viewers to get to know the players’ and coaches’ lighter sides,” and that fans can expect to see fun games like Family Feud and Chubby Bunny during the Live Web Chats. In addition, Jason Shepherd will serve as an on-air Social Media Correspondent, keeping up with trending content among fans and even taking questions for webcast interviews, allowing BYU fans to interact with Football Media Day more directly than ever before. Viewers can join the social media conversation with hashtags #BYUMediaDay, #BYUtvSports, and #BYUSN.
Big Day for Cougar Fans
The 2016 Football Media Day SUPERCAST is going to be the biggest yet. During what Linton believes is “the most compelling offseason the Cougars have ever experienced”—thanks to staff changes, the return of key players like Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams—and “one of the best schedules (maybe THE best) in BYU football history,” there are no shortage of reasons for fans to get pumped for the 2016 Football Media Day SUPERCAST.
Stay tuned for more details on the broadcasting schedule, social media topic discussions, guests announcements, and more. Follow BYUtv Sports on social media for instant updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Note: Attendance for Media Day events at the BYU Broadcasting building is by invitation only for credentialed media representatives.