SAN FRANCISCO – Entercom Communications, the nation's unrivaled leader in sports radio, and the University of San Francisco athletics department are pleased to announce an enhanced partnership that will make 1550-AM The GAME the official home of the men's basketball program for all 29 games in 2018-19. With the new agreement, two of the 29 games will be simulcast on the 95.7-FM signal. In addition, the Dons will have a weekly radio show on 1550 The Game.
"We continue to build momentum in the Bay Area with our enhanced partnership with 95.7FM and 1550AM," said Director of Athletics
Scott Sidwell. "A new weekly show dedicated solely to Dons men's and women's basketball will be a tremendous boost to get our message out to the Bay Area community. Basketball in the City is a prominent fixture in the sports lineup locally and we are grateful to the Entercom family for helping align and strengthen the USF brand here in San Francisco and beyond."
Back for his 28
th season as the voice of the Dons is
Pat Olson, he will be joined by Hall of Famer Jim Brovelli, as the two call all the action courtside for every broadcast. In addition to play-by-play duties, Olson will serve as the host for "The USF Dons Basketball Hour." The show is slated to debut on Tuesday, Nov. 13 and will air every week from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the season.
"The University of San Francisco is a Bay Area institution with an extremely rich history," said Gregory Nemitz, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom San Francisco. "All of us here at Entercom San Francisco are excited to continue this partnership for this season and beyond."
The Dons begin their 2018-19 season on Tuesday, Nov. 6 when they travel to Davis, Calif., to take on the Aggies. That contest will be the first game-day broadcast on 1550 The Game. For the full men's basketball schedule visit USFDons.com.
USF is coming off back-to-back 20 win seasons for the first time since 1981-82. This season the Dons enter 2018-19 with one of their deepest rosters in recent memory, returning a bulk of the squad that advanced to the championship round of the College Basketball Invitational the previous season. Key returners include senior guard
Frankie Ferrari, the 2018 All-WCC First Team honoree, and three year starters
Matt McCarthy and
Nate Renfro. The Dons also return junior guard
Jordan Ratinho, who set the USF single-season record for made 3-point field goals as a sophomore, and the return of
Charles Minlend, who sat out last season with an injury. All told, the Dons return 66 percent of their scoring from last season.
95.7-FM and 1550-AM The GAME are part of Entercom, a leading American media and entertainment company and one of the top two radio broadcasters in the country reaching over 100 million people each week through a robust portfolio of over 235 radio stations, digital platforms and live events. Entercom is also the #1 creator of live, original local audio content and the nation's unrivaled leader in news and sports radio. 95.7 The GAME is also the largest radio market FM sports station in California and the flagship radio station for the world champion Golden State Warriors and Oakland Athletics.
The University of San Francisco (usfca.edu) is located in the heart of one of the world's most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. Founded in 1855, USF is San Francisco's first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student's passion for social justice and a desire to "Change the World From Here." USF has a storied athletics tradition, and today its accomplished Division I scholar athletes compete in seven men's sports and eight women's sports. USF is a member of the West Coast Conference. For more information on USF Athletics, visit usfdons.com and follow the Dons the Dons on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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