Cumulus Media Renews 104.5 The Zone Afternoon Drive Show 3HL To Multi-Year Contract

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Pictured L-R: Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport, and Ron Slay of 3HL. Photo: Courtesy of 104.5 The Zone

Cumulus Media’s 104.5 The Zone local Sports/Talk radio station has renewed its afternoon show, 3HL, in a multi-year extension with its winning team of high-profile on-air sportscasters.

The renewal ensures that 104.5 The Zone’s popular drive-time hosts, Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport, and Ron Slay will continue to offer entertaining sports commentary and news Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7p.m.. The ratings for 3HL hit No. 1 in the Nashville sports talk radio market in the winter ratings sweeps coming in with a 12.1 rating.

“I’m so blessed to be able to work with incredibly talented people at 104.5 The Zone,” says Dougherty. “Being able to push the 3HL path long term and do it with my teammates and friends in the best city with the best listeners in the country is such a blessing. I’m pumped! Let’s roll!”

“Love, COMMUNITY, Family, Sports, Entertainment, and never ever having a damn ROOF!!!!” says Slay.

“It’s not very often you find the chemistry and culture that we are lucky enough to have right now at the Zone and on 3HL,” says Davenport. “We have the best listeners in the country, and I’m so excited our team will be together for the foreseeable future!”

Dougherty, known as “The Mayor of Middle Tennessee Sports” and is a well-known fixture in Nashville’s sports scene. Davenport is seen every Saturday on the college football sidelines, and her relationships and knowledge of the SEC are huge assets for 104.5 The Zone listeners. Slay is an SEC Player of the Year for the Tennessee Volunteers Men’s Basketball team and is a beloved natural entertainer.

“Today, we celebrate the powerhouse trio Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and Ron Slay. They have proven time and again to be a driving force behind 104.5 The Zone’s success, dominating the ratings and capturing the hearts of our listeners. They have an undeniable chemistry—a lightning in a bottle connection that brings our audience together. We are grateful to our clients, who have become our biggest fans, for choosing this remarkable station and these influential personalities to support their local businesses,” said Allison Warren, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Nashville, and Paul Mason, Program Director, 104.5 The Zone, said in a joint statement.

104.5 The Zone is The Flagship station for Titans Radio, Nashville’s affiliate for the University of Tennessee, and home to Nashville SC. 104.5 The Zone brings it all together on-air, streaming, on-demand, on Zone TV, at live events, and through expanded sports coverage and entertainment through the station’s content partnership with A to Z Sports – to deliver the best live and local sports content to fans wherever they are and whenever they want it.

Episode 013: Futbol En La Piel’s Claudio Villalobos

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This week on The Sports Credential Podcast, from Nashville Total Sports, the host of Fútbol En La Piel, Claudio Villalobos joins the show and talks all things Nashville SC, MLS, Gold Cup and much more!

Claudio and Steven discuss Hany Mukhtar’s stellar performances so far this season and how lucky Nashville is that he became the super star he’s grown into. They also talk about Nashville SC what the team needs to do to remain a top four team in the Eastern Conference.

They also dive into some Gold Cup talk as well as the state of Concacaf and issues surrounding Mexico’s soccer fanbase. The USMNT looks prime to take home the trophy again but there are some solid teams that are hoping to make a run in the tournament.

Claudio and Steven also talk about Messi’s arrival to MLS and how this will impact not only the league but the growth of the league internationally and the growth of the sport here in the U.S..

Be sure to subscribe to The Sports Credential Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube for new episodes every week!

Watch the full interview here!

Nashville Superspeedway To Honor Carl Edwards During Ally 400 Weekend

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Carl Edwards. Photo: Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images

Former NASCAR champion Carl Edwards will be honored at the upcoming Ally 400 NASCAR weekend for his stellar Nashville Superspeedway record.

Edwards, who shocked the racing community by becoming an early retiree in 2016 at age 36 with 28 Cup Series victories, was named one of NASCAR’s top 75 drivers during the sanctioning body’s year-long 75th anniversary celebration. He earned that NASCAR honor with his remarkable record at Nashville Superspeedway. Throughout his career, Edwards scored five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins (July 2011, April 2011, June 2007, April 2007 and June 2006) and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory (August 2003) at NASCAR’s largest concrete oval. In his 13 career Xfinity Series starts, he posted 12 top-10 finishes and 11 top-five showings. His lone finish outside the top 10 was 13th.

Fans attending the event on June 25 will have several opportunities to see Edwards prior to the running of the Ally 400, as he will make an appearance at the fan zone stage to be interviewed by NASCAR personality Alex Weaver. He will also make a stop by the pre-race concert stage prior to country music star Parker McCollum’s performance. Additionally, Edwards is scheduled to participate in official pre-race ceremonies, and will make a special visit to the Green Room Lounge, one of Nashville Superspeedway’s newly created VIP and premium experiences.

Cromwell Media Promotes Chase McCabe To Director Of Operations & Sports Programming

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Chase McCabe

Cromwell Media has promoted Chase McCabe to Director of Operations & Sports Programming, effective July 1. McCabe currently serves as Program Director/Brand Manager of 102.5/106.3 The Game and 94.9 The Fan, a position he’s held since January 2022.

McCabe is a proud graduate of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). He began his broadcast career with Cromwell Media as a producer, eventually rising to Assistant PD and PD. McCabe also hosts Chase & Michelle every weekday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on 102.5/106.3 The Game.

“I’m very fortunate to have been to be able to grow into this opportunity under one roof. Our Owner, Bud Walters, opened the door for me almost 12 years ago as an intern and I’m honored to continue to be a key member of the Nashville leadership team. I am forever grateful, but none of this could have happened without the great group of people we have here at Cromwell Media,” says McCabe.

“Chase understands our Cromwell commitment to ‘Nashville’s Best Sports Talk’ on 102.5/106.3 The Game and 94.9 The Fan,” says Walters, Cromwell Media President. “For over 12 years he’s been instrumental in the development of our sports reporting. I’m confident that Chase will step up and take charge as he always does. I’m glad to know him and trust his judgement.”

While continuing to oversee Cromwell Media/Nashville’s sports brands, McCabe will also serve as the cluster’s second-in-command behind newly appointed General Manager, Shawn Fort.

“Chase and I have developed a great working relationship in the two and half years since I’ve joined Cromwell Media,” says Fort. “We share similar visions on how to create compelling sports programming all while driving revenue growth. I’m excited to have Chase as my right-hand man as we move forward together with this new chapter of leadership at Cromwell Media Nashville.”

The Sports Credential Essentials—June 2023

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NASCAR is headed back to Music City this month as the Nashville Superspeedway gears up for the third annual NASCAR Triple-Header weekend June 23-25. The weekend will be packed with racing and music as the NASCAR season continues to heat up.

June also means college baseball, which Nashville sports fans plan to fully take in during the first weekend of the month. No.6 seed Vanderbilt is coming off their SEC Tournament win, and will host a regional on Friday, June 2. The Commodores are poised to be another College World Series contender as they’ve been the hottest team in baseball.

This month, Nashville SC will only play one game at GEODIS Park, facing St. Louis City FC for the first time ever. The Boys in Gold will kick off June by heading to Dallas to play FC Dallas on June 3. Nashville SC has a great history against Dallas, and this game could really show Hany Mukhtar at work. The team will finish the month in Columbus taking on the Crew, who they just beat at GEODIS Park 3-1.

As the Predators are entering a new era with GM Barry Trotz and recently hired Head Coach Andrew Brunette, Nashville will welcome the NHL to town at the end of June, when Bridgestone Arena hosts the NHL Awards on June 26, with Preds goaltender Juuse Saros as a Vezina Trophy finalist, and the NHL Draft on June 28.

For more events and games, head to The Sports Credential Calendar.

JUNE 2-4
Vanderbilt NCAA Baseball Championship – Nashville Regionals

JUNE 9-12
NCAA Baseball Super Regionals

JUNE 15
Metro Sports Authority Board Meeting at Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee

JUNE 16
Nashville SC vs. St. Louis City FC at GEODIS Park
Nashville, Tennessee

JUNE 23-25
NASCAR Triple-Header Weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville, Tennessee

JUNE 26
2023 NHL Awards at Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee

JUNE 28
2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee

Mike Vrabel To Speak At Special Olympics Tennessee’s Summer Games Opening Ceremonies

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Photo: Courtesy of the Special Olympics Tennessee

Special Olympics Tennessee’s (SOTN) State Summer Games return this week at Lipscomb University, Lipscomb Academy and Williamson County Indoor Sports Complex, including an array of awards as well as a speech by Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel.

The games will feature six different Special Olympics sports with more than 800 athletes and Unified Partners from across the state participating.

Opening Ceremonies for State Summer Games will take place this Friday, May 19 from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. CT at Allen Arena on the Lipscomb University campus. The entire community is encouraged to attend this free event to cheer on Special Olympics Tennessee athletes.

Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel with campers at Camp59. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

During competition on May 20, athletes will compete in Bocce, Powerlifting, Aquatics, Tennis, Track & Field and Volleyball. Competitions will begin at 8 a.m. CT. For the full schedule, click here.

“We’re thrilled to be back to our pre-pandemic numbers of athletes competing,” says Cate Simon, Director of Competitions for Special Olympics Tennessee. “Having more of our athletes compete from across the state means a better competition and more inclusion of people in our community. With Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel speaking to pump up our athletes, they’ll easily be ready to compete and set new personal records.”

Photo: Courtesy of the Special Olympics Tennessee

To kick off the event, law enforcement agencies from across the state will take part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The run will begin at 1st Avenue and Broadway in downtown Nashville at 3 p.m. CT. The run will then make its way to the Lipscomb University campus at 4:30 p.m. Participating departments include Metro Nashville Police Department, Brentwood Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Memphis Police Department, Tennessee Department of Correction, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, TVA Inspector General’s Office, Manchester Police Department, Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office, Vanderbilt Campus Police and more.

Known as Guardians of the Flame, law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes carry the “Flame of Hope” into Opening Ceremonies of competitions.

Throughout the event, SOTN athletes will also take part in Healthy Athletes screenings at the Health Village presented by Lifepoint Health. Opening Eyes will offer free vision screenings and Healthy Hearing will provide free ear screenings screening. Additionally, Special Smiles will offer free dental screenings and instructions on correct brushing and flossing techniques. There will also be fitness and nutrition booths to help educate athletes on healthy food and drink choices through Health Promotion.

Photo: Courtesy of the Special Olympics Tennessee

“Opening Eyes, Healthy Hearing, Special Smiles and Health Promotion Healthy Athlete events are an opportunity for our athletes to receive much needed health screenings and education,” says Dr. Natalee Kamau, Director of Health & Fitness for Special Olympics Tennessee. “These opportunities allow for us to assess needs in the areas of vision, hearing, oral and general fitness and nutrition so that our athletes can participate at their highest level.”

Throughout the weekend, SOTN athletes will also be treated to group dinners, a victory celebration after the events and more. The public is encouraged to attend any of the events to cheer on athletes as they compete. Registration is also open for Young Athletes, a program for children ages three to 10 with and without disabilities. For more information, click here.

Volunteer opportunities are also available for members of the community to support Summer Games, including setup, check-in, monitoring competitions, meal distribution and more. For more information, click here.

104.5 The Zone Leads Winter Ratings As Top Station In Nashville Market

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The winter ratings for mid-market sports talk radio stations are in and 104.5 The Zone leads the Nashville market in the Morning Drive and Afternoon Drive windows.

In Barrett Sports Media’s winter ratings recap, The Zone’s morning drive show, Ramon, Kayla, and Will from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., led the morning market with a rating of 9.6, leading main competitor Robbie & Rexrode at 102.5 The Game. Kayla Anderson and Will Boling joined Ramon Foster at 104.5 The Zone’s morning drive full time in October of 2022 and have seen massive success.

In the midday, The Buck Reising Show also came in first with a 10.7 rating. Host Reising, along with producer Lucas Panzica own the midday market with 102.5 The Game’s midday shows, Chase & Michelle and Caroline, Willy & DMase coming in with ratings of 1.4 and 1.2 respectively.

The Zone claimed first in the Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. window with a rating of 10.5 as well as in the Monday-Sunday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. window with 8.7. Their afternoon drive show 3HL with Brent Dougherty, Dawn Davenport and former Tennessee Vol Ron Slay came in as the No. 1 show in the market with a rating of 12.1.

102.5 The Game’s afternoon drive, Stillman & Company with Jared Stillman finished with a 3.4 rating.

Both stations have announced major broadcasting deals over the past few weeks as 104.5 was named Nashville SC’s flagship station with Boling and Panzica offering play-by-play, and 102.5 The Game announced broadcasting rights deal with Vanderbilt, allowing the station to air Commodore football, men’s basketball and baseball games this week.

Full ratings courtesy of Barrett Sports Media:

104.5 The Zone:

  • 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. (Ramon, Kayla, and Will) – 9.6 (1st)
  • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Buck Reising) – 10.7 (1st)
  • 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Blaine & Mickey) – 8.9 (4th)
  • 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (3HL) – 12.1 (1st)
  • Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. – 10.5 (1st)
  • Monday-Sunday 6 a.m. to Noon – 8.7 (1st)

102.5 The Game:

  • 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Robbie & Rexrode) – 3.8
  • 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Chase & Michelle) – 1.4
  • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Caroline, Willy & DMase) – 1.2
  • 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Stillman & Company) – 3.4
  • Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. – 2.6
  • Monday-Sunday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. – 2.2

College Corner: Vanderbilt’s Celia-Belle Mohr, MTSU’s Dean Hayes, Lipscomb Basketball

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Vanderbilt Tennis Standout Celia-Belle Mohr Earns Berth In NCAA Championship

Celia-Belle Mohr. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Sophomore Celia-Belle Mohr will represent Vanderbilt women’s tennis at the NCAA Singles Championships for the first time in her career.

The Montargis, France, native is a First Team All-SEC honoree and has amassed 28 singles victories overall this season, including 10 over nationally ranked opponents. Additionally, she has won seven of her last 10 matches, even recording a win over the No. 2 player in the country.

Throughout the season, Mohr maintained her position as a top singles player, currently sitting at No. 30 in the nation. The No. 29 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team fell to No. 10 Ohio State University 4-2 this weekend, ending their NCAA tournament run.

The championships are scheduled for May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus.

 

 

 

MTSU’s Legend Dean Hayes Named To The OVC Hall Of Fame

Legendary Middle Tennessee Track & Field Head Coach Dean Hayes will be inducted posthumously into the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Hall of Fame on Friday, June 2 in Nashville. Hayes will be inducted with former UT Martin Men’s Golf Head Coach Jerry Carpenter and former SIUE Women’s Softball Head Coach and Administrator Sandy Montgomery.

Hayes, who passed away in January 2022, was revered locally, regionally, nationally and internationally as he promoted track & field around the globe.  He took over as Head Coach at Middle Tennessee in 1965 and turned the program into a juggernaut, serving as Head Coach for 56 years.

During his tenure in the OVC, he led MTSU to 29 OVC titles, more than any other OVC member in conference history. Hayes coached Blue Raider athletes to 374 individual or relay championships, had 28 individuals earn All-American status a total of 53 times and led MTSU to 15 NCAA Top 25 finishes. Additionally, he had athletes earn six individual National Championships. He was named OVC Coach of the Year 15 times, including 10 in a row from 1977-1986. He was also named USTFCCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981 and served as President of the association in 1982 and 1983.

Hayes saw nine of his OVC-era athletes compete in the Olympics and had numerous athletes compete in the Goodwill Games, the World University Games, the World Cup, the World Championship, the Pan-Am Games and the African Championships.

He was also credited with integrating MTSU Athletics, with Jerry Singleton becoming the first African American Varsity Scholarship Athlete at the school in 1965. He is already a member of the USTFCCA Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Illinois Sports of Hall of Fame, the MTSU Blue Raider Hall of Fame, the Lake Forest College (his alma mater) Hall of Fame and the Naperville High School Hall of Fame. Hayes is also the namesake of  the outdoor track stadium at MTSU.

The induction will take place at the Hilton Franklin Cool Springs during the annual OVC Honors Brunch.

 

 

 

Lipscomb Men’s Basketball Adds To Coaching Staff

Photo: Courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics

Lipscomb University men’s basketball Head Coach Lennie Acuff has announced the addition of Vince Martin as Assistant Coach and Will Acuff as Director of Operations.

Martin comes to Lipscomb after a stint as an assistant coach at ETSU. This past season at ETSU, the Bucs secured 12 victories with seven wins at home. Before ETSU, Martin spent three seasons at fellow ASUN institution, Jacksonville University. While with the Dolphins during the 2021-22 season, Jacksonville garnered their largest number of wins since the 1985-1986 and 1970-1971 seasons. In addition, Jacksonville was a perfect 15-0 at home. Martin worked with the guards and forwards, and developed multiple players who have earned all-league honors, including Kevion Nolan, Dontarius James and Destin Barnes.

“We are extremely fortunate to add Coach Vince Martin to our coaching staff. He has experienced success in the ASUN as both a player and highly respected assistant coach,” says Acuff.  “He is a proven recruiter throughout the southeast and has earned the reputation as an elite player development coach. As we went through the hiring process, it became obvious that Vince would be a tremendous fit at Lipscomb University and would add significant value to our basketball program. His character, integrity and ability to get things done allow us to continue to improve. I look forward to working with and learning from him on a daily basis.”

Prior to his time at Jacksonville, Martin was the Head Coach at Bishop Snyder High School in Florida for three years. While at Bishop Snyder, Martin developed some of the top talent in the state of Florida, including Corey Walker Jr., former five-star and University of Tennessee signee. Martin also worked with the Atlanta-based Game Elite AAU program where he coached multiple top prospects in the nation, including former four-star athletes Walker Kessler and Ernest Ross.

Will Acuff returns to Lipscomb after serving as a Graduate Assistant Coach with the Bisons during the 2021-2022 season, during which he assisted in all aspects of the basketball program with an emphasis in player development and day to day operations. In Acuff’s season with the Bisons, Lipscomb notched 14 wins and advanced to the Quarterfinals of the ASUN Championship.

After his season with Lipscomb, he served as the Head Coach at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, where his 2022-2023 boys team doubled their win total from the previous season.