Athletics: UL has five-year deal with sports radio broadcast partner

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, June 8, 2018

Jay Walker will remain as UL’s football, men’s basketball and baseball radio play-by-play man. (Photo: SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network)

UL and its new multimedia rights holder, Learfield Communications, have decided to retain Townsquare Media as the radio broadcast partner for Ragin’ Cajuns athletics.

The two sides have reached a five-year deal, financial terms of which have not been disclosed.

Both Townsquare, whose holdings include ESPN affiliate sports-talk station KPEL 1420 AM, and Delta Media Corporation, whose holdings include local affiliate for LSU sports and the Houston Astros sports-talk station KLWB 103.7 FM, bid for UL’s rights.

General manager Brian Bille of Ragin’ Cajuns Sports Properties told The Daily Advertiser the selection of Townsquare means Jay Walker will continue in his longtime role as play-by-play voice of the Cajuns for football, men’s basketball and baseball.

Sports radio talk show host Steve Peloquin, UL’s longtime softball radio voice, also will continue to call Cajun softball games.

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Walker has been UL’s radio voice since 1991, and was its TV voice from 1984-91. The native New Englander has hosted his sports talk show “Bird’s Eye View” on 1420 since 1998.

Walker, according to Bille, again will be joined in the broadcast booth at home and on the road for football by ex-UL receiver Richie Falgout, a Cajuns color analyst for 1420 since 2015.

Cody Junot — who co-hosts a morning sports talk show, “The Starting Lineup,” with Peloquin — will return for a second season as 1420’s UL football sideline reporter.

Bille also said Walker will work with a color analyst for basketball broadcasts starting in the season to come.

As part of the Cajuns’ new agreement with Townsquare, UL football and men’s basketball games will be carried on KHXT 107.9 FM, women’s basketball and softball games will be carried on 1420 AM, and baseball games will be carried on some combination of 1420 AM and KPEL 96.5 FM.

Townsquare has owned UL’s flagship station for the last 25 years, according to a release issued by UL.

“We are very excited to benefit from yet another area of expertise of Learfield and Ragin’ Cajuns Sports Properties,” UL athletic director Bryan Maggard said in a statement from the school. “Their knowledge, coupled with a continued relationship with Townsquare Media, will provide an outstanding platform to reach the Ragin’ Cajuns fan base, while enhancing our overall brand throughout Lafayette, Acadiana and the state of Louisiana.”

It was announced last March that UL and Learfield had reached agreement on a 10-year partnership for the collegiate sports marketer to manage all aspects of comprehensive athletic rights previously overseen by the university.

That prompted the creation of Ragin’ Cajuns Sports Properties, which starting with the 2018-19 season has oversight of rights for properties including both signage at UL athletic venues along with digital, television and radio broadcasts and coaches’ shows.

More: UL announces multimedia rights partnership