UK Sports Network


The UK Sports Network, historically known as the Big Blue Sports Network and also formerly known as the UK IMG Sports Network, is the radio and television network of the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's and women's sports teams. It consists of five over-the-air television affiliates and 44 radio stations in Kentucky and neighboring states.

History

The radio network was established in September 1968 for the purpose of broadcasting football and basketball games to select radio stations across the state of Kentucky. Prior to this, individual stations in central Kentucky each held their own coverage of the games. The original group rightsholder was Host Communications. Later on, the broadcast syndicator of the UK Sports Network was Sports Productions, a joint venture of Host Communications, CBS television affiliate WKYT-TV of Lexington, and radio stations WVLK of Lexington and WHAS of Louisville. Cawood Ledford and Ralph Hacker were the first play-by-play commentators for the network.
In 2007, HOST Communications, a college sports marketing company based in the university's home city of Lexington, that had operated the Big Blue Sports Network, was purchased by the entertainment management company IMG. However, the name of the network did not change until the 2010–11 academic year.

Sale of media rights to JMI Sports

On June 23, 2014, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced that JMI Sports, owned by former San Diego Padres owner John Moores, had been awarded the multimedia rights to all University of Kentucky sports teams. UK's contract with JMI Sports was to initially begin upon the expiration of the university's contract with IMG College in April 2015. The university's contract with JMI include:
  • Radio rights to UK's football, men's and women's basketball and baseball games ;
  • Stadium and arena corporate signage and game programs for all home UK events. under a contract with the Lexington Center Corporation, who manages the arena for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. In 2018, control of all multimedia rights for the Lexington Center, including naming rights, were turned over to the university, who subsequently awarded those rights to JMI.;
  • Naming rights to university athletics facilities and premium areas;
  • Sponsorship on UKathletics.com;
  • Game sponsorships and game promotions;
  • Coaches' endorsements;
  • Pre and postgame television shows and specials and postseason highlight DVDs;
  • Video features on video boards;
  • Opportunities to develop UK Athletics Corporate Partnership Program; and
  • The potential, at the university's discretion, to market campus multimedia rights, creating the potential for an integrated approach to multimedia rights and marketing.
On October 27, 2014, JMI Sports announced that they had bought out the final year of IMG's contract with the University of Kentucky. As part of that agreement with IMG, JMI immediately took over management of the entire University of Kentucky's Sports Marketing program, including the UK Sports Network.
On January 27, 2020, it was announced that Lexington Center's overall naming rights were sold to Central Bank, a local community bank, by the Lexington Center Corporation and JMI Sports. The Rupp name will continue to receive primacy in the fourteen-year agreement for the arena portion of the complex, and be known as "Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center".

On-air personalities

Current

  • Tom Leach – play-by-play commentator
  • Jack "Goose" Givens – game analyst
  • Jeff Piecoro – game analyst

    Former

Source:
  • Claude Sullivan, play-by-play commentator
  • Cawood Ledford, play-by-play commentator
  • Ralph Hacker – color analyst, play-by-play commentator
  • JB Faulconer, play by play commentator men's basketball, men's football
  • Neil Price – play-by-play commentator
  • Mike Pratt – color analyst

    Over-the air television affiliates

Current

Former

Radio

All listed radio stations are sorted by city of license. Areas served by these stations will vary. Most affiliates air coverage of football and men's basketball, unless otherwise specified.
CallsignFrequencyBandCityStateNetwork status
WLAP630AMLexingtonKentuckyFlagship
WBUL-FM98.1FMLexingtonKentuckyFlagship
WCMI1340AMAshlandKentuckyAffiliate
WCBL1290AMBentonKentuckyAffiliate
WLFX106.7FMBereaKentuckyAffiliate
WMMG1140AMBrandenburgKentuckyAffiliate
WMMG-FM93.5FMBrandenburgKentuckyAffiliate
WGGC95.1FMBowling GreenKentuckyAffiliate
WSEK-FM93.9FMBurnside-SomersetKentuckyAffiliate
WKDZ1110AMCadizKentuckyAffiliate
WKDZ-FM106.5FMCadizKentuckyAffiliate
WCKQ104.1FMCampbellsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WAIN1270AMColumbiaKentuckyAffiliate
WAIN-FM93.5FMColumbiaKentuckyAffiliate
WCTT680AMCorbinKentuckyAffiliate
WCTT-FM107.3FMCorbinKentuckyAffiliate
WCMI-FM92.7FMCatlettsburg-Ashland-HuntingtonKentuckyAffiliate
WFLE1060AMFlemingsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WFLE-FM95.1FMFlemingsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WFRT103.7FMFrankfortKentuckyAffiliate
WUGO99.7FMGraysonKentuckyAffiliate
WCBL-FM99.1FMGrand Rivers-Benton-Calvert CityKentuckyAffiliate
WLGC-FM105.7FMGreenupKentuckyAffiliate
WKYA105.5FMGreenvilleKentuckyMen's basketball
WXBC104.3FMHardinsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WFSR970AMHarlanKentuckyAffiliate
WTUK105.1FMHarlanKentuckyAffiliate
WXMZ99.9FMHartford-Beaver DamKentuckyAffiliate
WSGS101.1FMHazardKentuckyAffiliate
WSON860AMHendersonKentuckyAffiliate
WHOP1230AMHopkinsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
W257EV99.3FMHopkinsvilleKentuckyn/a
WHOP-FM98.7FMHopkinsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WJRS104.9FMJamestown-Russell SpringsKentuckyAffiliate
WIFX-FM94.3FMJenkins-Pikeville-HazardKentuckyAffiliate
WRNZ105.1FMLancaster-DanvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WKHG104.9FMLeitchfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WFTG1400AMLondonKentuckyAffiliate
WWEL103.9FMLondonKentuckyAffiliate
WHAS840AMLouisvilleKentuckyFootball/men's basketball
WKJK1080AMLouisvilleKentuckyWomen's basketball
WKTG93.9FMMadisonvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WKLB1200AMManchesterKentuckyAffiliate
W283AH104.5FMManchesterKentuckyn/a
WLLE102.1FMMayfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WNGO1320AMMayfieldKentuckyAffiliate
W238AN95.5FMMayfieldKentuckyn/a
WFTM1240AMMaysvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WFTM-FM95.9FMMaysvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WFTM101.7FMMonticelloKentuckyAffiliate
WIVY96.3FMMoreheadKentuckyAffiliate
WMSK1550AMMorganfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WBKR92.5FMOwensboroKentuckyAffiliate
WOMI1490AMOwensboroKentuckyAffiliate
WKYX570AMPaducahKentuckyAffiliate
WSIP1490AMPaintsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WSIP-FM98.9FMPaintsvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WPKE1240AMPikevilleKentuckyAffiliate
WDHR93.1FMPikevilleKentuckyAffiliate
WDOC1310AMPrestonsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WQHY95.5FMPrestonsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WWKY-FM104.9FMPrincetonKentuckyAffiliate
WPKY1580AMPrincetonKentuckyAffiliate
WREF97.7FMSebree-MadisonvilleKentuckyAffiliate
WAKY-FM103.5FMRadcliff-Elizabethtown-Fort KnoxKentuckyFootball/men's basketball
W243CU96.5FMSebree-HendersonKentuckyn/a
WSFC1240AMSomersetKentuckyAffiliate
WMSK-FM101.3FMSturgis-MorganfieldKentuckyAffiliate
WXKQ-FM103.9FMWhitesburgKentuckyAffiliate
WTCW920AMWhitesburgKentuckyAffiliate
WEZJ-FM104.3FMWilliamsburgKentuckyAffiliate
WNKR106.7FMWilliamstown-Dry RidgeKentuckyAffiliate
WCKY1530AMCincinnatiOhioAffiliate
WKYX-FM94.3FMGolcondaIllinoisAffiliate
WRVC930AMHuntingtonWest VirginiaFootball
WEKX102.7FMJellico-WilliamsburgTennesseeAffiliate
WDXC102.3FMPound, VirginiaVirginiaAffiliate