ESPN Radio Affiliates to Air Hawaii Football

The opening game of the Norm Chow era in University of Hawai`i football will be aired on a familiar place on the radio dial.

A one-year deal was reached earlier this week between Pacific Radio Group, who owns the Big Island’s ESPN Radio on KHLO AM 850 in Hilo and KKON AM 790 in Kealakekua, and aio, who owns ESPN 1420 in Honolulu and holds the main rights to air University of Hawaii athletics. This is the third year that both sides will collaborate to air UH sports on the Big Island.

As part of the deal, Big Island listeners will hear every football game played this season, beginning with the September 1 game at USC, which will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. Select games will be preceded by the “Countdown to Kickoff” show, hosted by Chris Hart, Gary Dickman, and Don Robbs. The former two are the co-hosts of “The Sports Animals,” which air locally from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., while Robbs is the long time voice of University of Hawai`i Baseball.

In addition to all twelve football games, as well as a potential Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl appearance, ESPN Radio will air a large majority of Rainbow Warrior Men’s Basketball games, beginning with the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Rainbow Classic on November 9 when they face Maryland-Eastern Shore.

In addition, the stations on the Big Island will be the only neighbor island affiliate to air select coverage of other popular sports, like women’s and men’s volleyball, softball, baseball, and women’s basketball. Coverage plans for those sports will be announced at a later date.