Robert Morris University, 970 ESPN reach three-year broadcast deal

Robert Morris University and 970 AM ESPN (WBGG) in Pittsburgh announced last week that they reached a three-year agreement to broadcast RMU football, men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey games beginning this fall and running through the 2015-16 athletic season.

The agreement makes 970 ESPN the flagship station and broadcast home for all Colonials games in football and men’s basketball as well as for all home games in men’s hockey.

The agreement includes weekly coaches shows for the three programs, which will take place at various Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants as well as other locations in the Pittsburgh. The shows will feature head football coach Joe Walton, assistant head football coach John Banaszak, men’s basketball head coach Andrew Toole and men’s ice hockey head coach Derek Schooley.

Robert Morris football, men’s basketball and home men’s ice hockey games can be heard on 970 AM and on the station’s website, www.970espn.com, as well as the iHeartRadio application.

Football: Robert Morris football coach Joe Walton will be the only member to be inducted into the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame over the weekend of Nov. 15-16. The contest that Saturday with the Sacred Heart University Pioneers will be the final home game in Walton’s coaching career.

The only coach in the program’s history, Walton’s is headed into his 20th season on the sidelines at the stadium that now bears his name on the Robert Morris campus. At the conclusion of the season, Walton will step down as head coach and serve as special assistant to the athletic director at RMU.

In 19 years guiding the Colonials, Walton has compiled an overall record of 109-86-1, good for a .559 win percentage, including a mark of 70-44 (.614) in the Northeast Conference. During that 17-year stretch, Walton has captured six NEC regular-season championships (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2010).

Men’s Hockey: The RMU men’s hockey program enters their 10th year behind the leadership of head coach Derek Schooley. One of the highlights for this coming season is defending their title as Three Rivers Classic champions Dec. 27-28 against Boston College, Penn State, and Bowling Green at CONSOL Energy Center.

Women’s Hockey: College Hockey America announced on Monday that the Robert Morris women’s ice hockey team had a conference-best 21 players on the CHA All-Academic Team for the 2012-2013 season.

To qualify for the CHA All-Academic Team, an individual must post a 3.0 grade-point average or higher in all of the academic periods during which her team was actively competing.

Field Hockey: The Robert Morris University field hockey team will begin play in the new Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference field hockey league this fall. RMU joins fellow Northeast Conference members Bryant and Sacred Heart as associate members along with full-time MAAC schools Monmouth, Quinnipiac, Rider, and Siena.