ESPN SportsCenter to broadcast from Academy on Veterans Day

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Academy is scheduled to host ESPN on Veterans Day for a live telecast of its flagship program, SportsCenter.

The Academy visit will anchor a week of network programming as part of ESPN's seventh annual America's Heroes salute.

SportsCenter segments from the Academy will be anchored by Hannah Storm and Kevin Negandhi, and are scheduled to air 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST with additional segments to air at 6 p.m. and during later editions.

Additional ESPN programming from U.S. military bases will include the annual Armed Forces Classic college basketball game Nov. 13 from Okinawa, Japan; and ESPN2's First Take will air live from Westover Air Reserve Base, Chicopee, Mass., Nov. 9.

"As part of ESPN's company-wide recognition of our veterans and active troops, we are celebrating the proud men and women of the U.S. Air Force Academy along with troops from all our service branches," said Michael Fountain, ESPN’s senior coordinating producer. "SportsCenter's celebration will focus on veterans as well as those preparing to enter service.

Many popular athletes, coaches and celebrities will provide daily "shout outs" to members of the military within ESPN programming, including Dabo Swinney, LeBron James, Nick Saban, Les Miles, Larry Fitzgerald, JJ Watt, Mike Tomlin, Robert Mathis, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Spike Lee, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Andrew Luck, and Gus Malzhan. The tributes will appear on SportsCenter and other ESPN platforms.

SportsCenter elements from the Air Force Academy will include:

- Live interviews with former Air Force football player and Dallas Cowboy Chad Hennings and Air Force head football coach Troy Calhoun.

- Veterans Day vignettes voiced by retired Gen. Colin Powell and Air Force cadets.

- Wings of Blue: A profile on the award winning Air Force Academy parachute competition and demonstration team, narrated by Negandhi.

- Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger: Face to Face: Hannah Storm sits down with the Air Force Academy grad to discuss the lessons he learned as a cadet and how those lessons helped when he landed crippled U.S. Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River in New York City in January 2009.

- Legacy/Day in the Life: SportsCenter follows two cadets who are twin sisters and tennis players during a day at the Academy. The feature includes a look at academy life and why the two chose to attend the Academy.

- Academy firefighters: A team of Academy firefighters, including Air Force veterans and active-duty personnel, is a world power at the World Firefighter Combat Challenge. Training and competing builds fitness, camaraderie and simulates skills needed on a call.

- Essence of Flight: ESPN's Tom Rinaldi writes and voices an essay.

- What Veterans Day Means to Me: ESPN national correspondent Sal Paolantonio, a Navy veteran, writes and voices.

The broadcast from the Academy will also include an appearance by two CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft from the 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico.