The newest defection to the LIV golf tour is reportedly Golf Channel’s David Feherty. Plus: the latest news from conference realignment talks as the Big 12 and Pac-12 have reportedly called off merger talks; Eddie Olczyk is parting ways with the Blackhawks; and more.
Feherty leaving Golf Channel for LIV, per NYP
Golf Channel analyst David Feherty is leaving the network and expected to move to the LIV golf series, the New York Post reported Monday. Feherty, who would work 8-10 tournaments per year, is immediately the highest-profile broadcaster associated with the controversial Saudi-backed tour. He may not be for long, as Turner NBA analyst Charles Barkley — a regular on Turner’s golf exhibition series “The Match” — said last week that he plans to meet with the LIV.
Prior to the Feherty news, the biggest broadcasting name associated with the LIV was play-by-play voice Arlo White, who left his role as NBC’s lead Premier League voice to join the tour.
Feherty had been with Golf Channel and NBC since leaving CBS in 2015 and is best known for his eponymous talk show that ran from 2011-20. [NYP 7.18]
Big 12, Pac-12, end partnership talks
The Big 12 and Pac-12 have ended talks on a possible partnership, ESPN reported late Monday. Per the report, officials in both conferences had multiple Zoom calls to discuss possible options, including the possibility of a full merger. A Pac-12 affiliated source told ESPN that the Big 12 expressed interest in a merger and the Pac-12 was skeptical, a characterization that a Big 12 source disputed. Per CBS Sports, the Big 12 is still pursuing the possible addition of Pac-12 teams.
In related news, CBS reported Monday that Notre Dame is seeking at least $75 million per year from NBC to remain independent, a five-fold increase over its current $15 million/year deal. Per the report, NBC’s willingness to meet that price is conditioned on acquiring rights to a “Power 5” conference that could serve as a lead-in and lead-out of Notre Dame games, with the Big 12 said to be a possible option. [ESPN.com 7.18, CBSSports.com 7.18 a, b]
Turner’s Olczyk leaves Blackhawks for Kraken
TNT NHL analyst Eddie Olczyk is leaving his second job as the analyst for Chicago Blackhawks games to take the same position with the second-year Seattle Kraken, according to multiple reports Monday. Olczyk has called Blackhawks games since 2006, but talks on a contract extension broke down in recent weeks. He will work alongside play-by-play voice John Forslund on Kraken games. [The Athletic 7.18]
Plus: Fox apology, Ernie Johnson, Dakich
Fox Sports apologized Sunday after an on-air graphic during Saturday’s Red Sox-Yankees game featured the logos of each team superimposed onto the 9/11 memorial reflecting pools where the original World Trade Center towers once stood. … Turner’s Ernie Johnson will make his season debut on the TBS Major League Baseball studio show next Tuesday. Lauren Shehadi had been hosting the show since the start of the season. … Former ESPN broadcaster Dan Dakich will be back on company’s various networks starting Wednesday calling The Basketball Tournament. He will work alongside Eric Collins. Broadcast teams for The Basketball Tournament are primarily comprised of non-ESPN personnel. [Newscast Studio 7.18, Turner Sports PR, ESPN PR]
