Rich Rodriguez, Gary Thorne and James Bates Join CBS Sports Network

Network to Feature Three Boise State Football Games; Returns as Home of Service Academy Football

CBS Sports Network kicks off its ninth season of college football coverage with an extensive lineup of games featuring the best of the Mountain West, Conference USA, Army and Navy football, NCAA Division II and the Patriot League. The Network will air 42 games this season and again feature a top roster of announcers and analysts including seven new voices highlighted by former University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez and veteran play-by-play announcers Gary Thorne and James Bates.

Rodriguez teams with play-by-play announcer Dave Ryan to call Conference USA and Mountain West games. Thorne pairs with returning analyst Randy Cross for Army home games. Cross will continue to be the analyst for Navy home games, teaming this season with announcers Tim Brant and Josh Lewin, who will handle two games each.  With his role this season, Cross becomes the first announcer to call both Army and Navy home games throughout a season.

Bates, a former University of Florida linebacker, also joins CBS Sports Network after five years as a play-by-play announcer with the Mtn. - Mountain West Sports Network.  Bates is joined in the booth by analyst Aaron Taylor to call Conference USA and Mountain West games.  Also new to the Network is play-by-play announcer Todd Harris and analyst Doug Chapman, who will serve as the broadcast team for Division II games and select Conference USA match-ups. Brooke Olzendam and Kaylee Hartung return as sideline reporters in 2011.

CBS Sports Network's studio programming is anchored by Adam Zucker. Former University of Texas and NFL linebacker Brian Jones returns as a studio analyst on the Network's various college football shows. Molly Qerim and Brent Stover also serve as studio hosts this season.

CBS Sports Network again serves as the broadcast home for Armed Forces football, airing 10 games featuring Army, Navy and Air Force, highlighted by Rutgers vs. Army at Yankee Stadium on November 12 and Southern Miss at Navy on October 10.

The Network also enters its sixth year as a broadcast partner of the Mountain West and seventh year with Conference USA. CBS Sports Network will air three Boise State games during the Broncos' first season in the Mountain West and will showcase other top teams including: Purdue at Rice (9/10), Boston College at UCF (9/10), Northwestern at Army (9/17), Virginia Tech at Marshall (9/24), SMU at TCU (10/1), North Carolina at ECU (10/1), ECU at Houston (10/8) and TCU at San Diego State (10/8).

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Media Contacts:

Dan Sabreen                212-975-5936             dsabreen@cbs.com

Mariel Brady               212-975-5373              mariel.brady@cbs.com