NBC today announced that Dan Hicks will be the "next television voice of Notre Dame football," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Hicks succeeds Tom Hammond, who has been NBC's "lead voice for Notre Dame football" since '92. Hicks "had filled in for Hammond for one game in each of the last two seasons and the speculation had existed for months that he would succeed Hammond this season." An NBC Sports spokesperson said of the move, "Notre Dame had no input, although they were informed once the decision was made." Deitsch reported Hicks' first Notre Dame assignment "comes this Saturday, when NBC Sports Network airs Notre Dame's annual Blue-Gold Game." Hicks said that NBC Sports execs "have not told him how long the assignment will last." The net also announced that it has "re-signed Hammond to a multi-year deal." Hicks said that he "planned to call Hammond shortly but wanted to wait until after his colleague signed a new contract." Hicks also will "continue to work as the lead commentator for NBC's live-event golf coverage (the conflicts are minimal) and will return for NBC's Olympic coverage of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics" (SI.com, 4/14). Hicks said that he "showed interest in the assignment by telling NBC executives how much he missed football." NBC "had no comment on why it replaced Hammond" (USA TODAY, 4/15).
