Aug. 27, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame athletics department has partnered with the LeSEA Broadcasting Network, making WHME-FM and Pulse FM the radio home of Notre Dame women’s basketball and baseball in the South Bend market.

LeSEA will originate all Notre Dame women’s basketball games, with those events carried on Pulse FM 96.9/92.1, marking the first time since the 1998-99 season that the Irish will be heard on an FM station. Combined, these two stations blanket the nation’s No. 89 media market (South Bend-Elkhart), covering a 21-county area in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan that contains more than 1.35 million listeners (better than 800,000 in the greater South Bend area alone). All told, Notre Dame’s new women’s basketball network will stretch from Kalamazoo, Mich., to the north, North Judson, Ind., to the west, Macy, Ind., (home of former Irish All-America center Ruth Riley) to the south, and LaGrange, Ind., to the east.

Notre Dame baseball broadcasts also will be originated by LeSEA and carried on WHME 103.1 FM.

“Notre Dame has had a great history with the LeSEA stations,” said Jack Swarbrick, Notre Dame athletics director. “Both the women’s basketball and baseball programs at Notre Dame started on the radio with LeSEA, and we’re excited to be back with them once again.”

Women’s basketball and baseball game broadcasts are streamed live on Notre Dame’s official athletics Web site at www.und.com.

The agreement also includes extensive Notre Dame athletics promotion aired on a combination of the LeSEA stations.

Bob Nagle, the voice of Notre Dame women’s basketball from 1996-97 through 1998-99, is expected to return as the play-by-play voice of the Irish this fall. Chuck Freeby will handle the play-by-play role for baseball broadcasts.

— ND —