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Fox Sports Adds Steve Lavin

Jason Barrett

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Former St. John’s and UCLA head coach Steve Lavin joins FOX Sports for the network’s extensive college basketball coverage beginning this fall with the 2015-16 season. The announcement was made today by John Entz, FOX Sports President, Production and Executive Producer.

Lavin primarily serves as a studio analyst for college basketball coverage on FOX broadcast network and FS1, appearing on pregame, halftime and postgame shows plus the weekly FS1 program INSIDE THE BIG EAST. He also calls select games for FOX Sports throughout the season and makes appearances on FS1 signature programs AMERICA’S PREGAME and FOX SPORTS LIVE.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Coach Lavin to the FOX Sports family,” said Entz. “Steve is a successful coach and engaging teacher with great television presence. He has been a friend to FOX Sports since we began covering the BIG EAST IN 2013, and we could not be happier to bring him on full-time.”

“It’s a true privilege to join the FOX Sports family,” Lavin said. “I’m eager to contribute as an analyst on our college basketball coverage. My 17 years of coaching experience in the Big East and Pac-12 make this opportunity with FOX Sports an ideal fit in terms of having both a familiarity and affinity for these two outstanding conferences.”

Lavin enters his 28th consecutive year associated with college athletics, having previously served as head coach at St. John’s and UCLA and as a broadcaster with ESPN and ABC. At St. John’s from 2010 to 2015, he led the Red Storm to 20 or more wins on three occasions, including NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2015. He missed the 2011-12 season while recovering from cancer treatment.

As head coach at UCLA from 1996 to 2003, Lavin led the team to six seasons with 21 or more wins, and six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1997-2002). He guided the Bruins to five Regional Semifinals in a six-year span (1997-98-00-01-02) and signed two top-ranked recruiting classes.

In 11 years as a head coach, Lavin led teams to 10 postseason appearances, including eight NCAA Tournament berths, nine seasons of 20 or more wins and posted a career record of 226-131 (.633). Sixteen of his student-athletes were drafted into the NBA.

Between his coaching stints at UCLA and St. John’s, Lavin worked at Disney Corporation from 2003 to 2010 as an ESPN/ABC college basketball and NBA Draft color commentator.

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Colorado Rockies & DirecTV Reach Agreement to Carry Games on TV

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination for their favorite local teams. We will continue to work with MLB…so fans can get their games.”

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Colorado Rockies

Breathe easy, Rockies fans — you will be able to watch your club on linear TV this year. At the buzzer, DirecTV and the Colorado Rockies agreed on terms to distribute the team’s games throughout its local service.

Starting today, DirecTV Choice subscribers across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Southern Idaho, Western Nebraska, and Northern New Mexico can now watch the Rockies on a special channel simply titled, “ROCKIES.” The games will be available on DirecTV and DirecTV STREAM via channel 683.

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination to get all their favorite local teams,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DIRECTV. “We will continue to work with MLB, the NBA, NHL, and other top leagues and their local franchises so the most avid fans can get the games they want while other customers have more choice over the content they want to pay to have in their homes.”

Reports just days ago out of Colorado said there were “no guarantees” the Rockies would not find a TV home in time for Opening Day following the sunsetting of AT&T SportsNet. The only other way to watch the team is to use its direct-to-consumer Rockies.tv streaming service, which fans say is too pricey for a team that lost 103 games last season. Luckily, the team was able to secure a TV home for 2024, though the future is still uncertain.

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Erin Andrews Reveals Infertility Journey in Emotional ‘Today Show’ Interview

FOX reporter Erin Andrews sat down with ‘The Today Show’s’ Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

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Erin Andrews

FOX reporter Erin Andrews shared her story of infertility and surrogacy with NBC’s Today Show. Last summer, Andrews and her husband welcomed a baby boy via surrogate after trying for a decade to get pregnant via IVF, during which she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016. Today, she sat down with Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

Andrews says Welker’s announcement on the Today Show made her think a baby could be possible. “I remember Kristin Welker’s announcement on your show,” Andrews said last year, “and I actually watched that the morning Mac was born, because that just hit me.”

When they finally sat down, Welker asked Andrews why her journey resonated with the sports reporter so much:

“Because I see myself in you. Kristen, the video of you moderating debates after you’re waiting on bad news or maybe you just received it, that’s me. I can tell you every stand-up I’ve done at a football game where I’ve gotten the news that it didn’t work. I’d be talking about Tom Brady going for this record and my record is that I still was failing…I would have chest pains every time I was waiting for the call if it worked, and I knew it wouldn’t work.

Erin Andrews on ‘Today’

Andrews knew surrogacy was the only path to having a child. Although her family’s first attempt failed, her second attempt was a success, and she got to hear her child’s heartbeat for the very first time. The pair discuss the complex emotions that come with surrogacy, saying that bonds with their child could be affected because they didn’t carry their child. However, Welker assured Andrews that those feelings go away once you can talk to your child.

Once her son was born in June, who Andrews called, “a miracle,” she then talks about her child glowingly, talking about how he is just like mom — vocal. “He’s all me,” she says.

Andrews supports Baby Quest, a non-profit that grants money to families in need of IVF or surrogacy to have a baby but don’t have the funds to pursue these expensive treatments. Both Andrews and Welker acknowledged how difficult and unattainable their journies are for some families — and Andrews even used the NFL’s “My Cleats, My Cause” initiative to raise awareness for her cause.

“People don’t need to feel embarrassed that they have a surrogate or are looking for other help,” Andrews said.

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Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt to be Lead Fox Sports UFL Broadcast Team

Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt, and Brock Huard will make up the first XFL on FOX announce team, while Kevin Kugler, Devin Gardner, and Jake Butt are the #2 team.

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FOX is ready for the United Football League (UFL) season and recently announced its broadcast lineup for the upcoming season. Curt Menefee returns to the booth alongside Joel Klatt to make up the primary UFL commentary team. Joining Menefee and Klatt from the sidelines will be former NFL and University of Washington QB Brock Huard.

Menefee and Klatt will call the season-opening matchup between the defending two-time USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions and the reigning XFL Champion Arlington Renegades on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. The second team of Kevin Kugler and former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner will call the second game of the day when the St. Louis Battlehawks take on the Michigan Panthers at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Former Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt will man the sidelines for that game.

Former NFL and USC QB Mark Sanchez was also mentioned in the FOX news release but details of his involvement were not made clear.

The UFL season kicks off on FOX this weekend and continues over on ESPN. Both networks will split coverage of the league all season long.

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