The "Flutie-free" telecast will feature Notre Dame radio voices Paul Burmeister and Ryan HarrisGETTY IMAGES
NBC will provide a "new TV option" for Saturday's Boston College-Notre Dame football game with an alternate broadcast on NBCSN, according to Eric Hansen of the SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE. The "regular version" will be on NBC at 2:30pm ET, with former Boston College QB Doug Flutie "providing the in-booth analysis, per usual." Then, there will be a "Flutie-free version" on NBCSN, and Notre Dame radio voices Paul Burmeister and Ryan Harris will "describe the action on the alternate broadcast, using NBC's video." When NBC goes to commercial, NBCSN "will not -- instead providing discussions from a yet-to-be revealed panel." NBC Coordinating Producer Rob Hyland "teased the concept back in September of a 'truly Notre Dame-centric broadcast' for the 25th-ever meeting" between the two schools (SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE, 11/19).
FOR THE FANS: SI producer Jessica Smetana, who will be co-hosting the alternate feed, noted many fans "like to listen to the radio call over whatever sporting event they’re watching," and the NBCSN feed is simply "syncing up" the radio call with NBC's video feed. Smetana: "There’s going to be some special in-studio conversations and breakdowns and then some sideline reporting. That is a little bit different than what you get on NBC, so I think it’ll be a really cool show." Smetana, a Notre Dame alumna, added there is "probably a reason that they’re doing it for the last game of the season." However, she did not have a sense if this alternate broadcast format would become something more regular: "Maybe that’s something they want to test run and spend the offseason thinking about" (“Pod of Gold,” ND Insider, 11/20).
