Part VI: Dublin Calling, and ACCN five years in

ACC Network has some high-profile broadcasts this Week 0, with some ACC Huddle live content from the Georgia Tech-Florida State game in Dublin, Ireland. They’ll also have a full day of stateside content leading up to SMU hosting Nevada in the evening. Cambareri said their morning show will feature contributors both in Ireland and Connecticut, and that will go on for the first few hours before they fully transition stateside.

“We split a set. So we’ve done a couple of people out there on location. We’re going to have part of our set out in Dublin, we’re going to have Taylor Tannebaum and E.J. Manuel out in Dublin, who just coincidentally happen to be Florida State alums. And then back in Bristol, we’re going to have Justin Walters and the remainder of our set, Coach Richt, Eddie Royal, Eric Mac Lain.”

“We’ll have a post-show on the field, it will be a Bristol/Dublin show for the 11:00 AM, it will be a Bristol/Dublin show for our command center, halftime, the post-show, but then we also have a nighttime show because SMU is playing Nevada that night. So we are going to just let the Bristol crew handle the late show, incorporating some of the stuff we’ve done with EJ and Taylor, but we’ll be getting postgame guests from the winning school.”

On the Dublin broadcast, Cambareri said that’s also a chance for ACC Huddle to work with ESPN’s College GameDay.

“GameDay is going to be out there [in Dublin] as well. So it will have that feel. And it’s really our first opportunity there, we weren’t at a GameDay set last year, so I get to talk to my colleague [GameDay coordinating producer] Matt Garrett. We used to be on NFL together, so getting to talk to Matt about, ‘Hey, what’s your approach, what are you doing? There’s something we’re doing,’ and just talking it out a little bit about our strategy, has been a fun part of this as well.

“And you may see some people in some unique spots, showing the flavor of Dublin itself. Maybe E.J. Manuel learns a jig. So I think going out there also offers the opportunity for fun, and I think we’re mixing it: any pregame show, you’re trying to get information, preview, analysis, but also fun and entertaining spots, because football’s fun. And especially in the college mode, you’re trying to lean into that. So I think that as a group that we have, I feel like really combined all of that and have the passion for football and the passion for the conference.”

A key part of ACC Network coverage to date has been ACC Huddle panelist Mark Richt, known for a Hall of Fame coaching career at Miami, Georgia, and more. Cambareri said Richt is a fantastic asset for them, especially with his ties to the conference, which include time as Florida State’s quarterbacks coach (1990-93) and offensive coordinator (1994-2000).

“For Charlie Ward, he was the one calling plays. And then the Miami experience and obviously having the ties he had to that school. Within the conference, he brings a great amount of gravitas. He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason.”

Richt has been open about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, but Cambareri said that hasn’t affected what he brings to the set or how people treat him.

“Coach and I have obviously talked about his condition during the year, and how we can sort of address that at times, which is just a smart thing to do. But I think he’s a part of that group and the way everyone treats one another, it’s just a wonderful thing to watch. Again, I was a new person last year coming in, and it was great to see how everyone interacts and the level of respect they have. But also, he’ll get his chain yanked as much as anybody else, and he appreciates it.

Cambareri said having someone with Richt’s coaching background is a tremendous boost for him.

“I think, from my perspective, it’s been great to have a coach. And the funniest part about working with any coach that it’s a unique relationship when they come on this side of the fence, right, where we’re the coaches, the GMs. You know, I remember working with Bill Polian, and he introduced me to his granddaughter, he’s like ‘This is my boss.’ I was like, ‘That’s just weird.'”

“But [Richt] accepts that he’s not the head coach and then he can consult with me and we have discussions about how we’re approaching a day or comments or a series of events that we’re covering. And, you know, he’s just a huge preparation guy…so I think we speak the same language.

“And again, having a coach on your staff is a great asset for people in leadership positions. I found that whether it’s talking to somebody like him or Herm Edwards, who’s a close friend of mine from my NFL days, they’ve dealt with what you’ve dealt with, people management and decisions and tough decision. Having a coach like that, you can bounce off stuff. And especially with me being newer to this conference last year, I definitely leaned on him wherever I could. ”

Cambareri said while he’s relatively new to ACC Network, he’s thrilled with what he’s seen so far, and excited for the future.

“We’re excited. I’m one year in, but five years is a marker for us. And I think we’re excited to keep going. I know that there are other conference networks out there, and I think ‘re trying to push our way in, and obviously the performance of the conference is always important towards forging that identity. And I think we’re looking forward to a great year.”

Katzman said while he doesn’t work with ACCN any more, he’ll always think of the network as one of his best experiences with ESPN.

“It’s something that forever when people say ‘What have you enjoyed most about working at ESPN?’, being able to launch ACC Network will forever be towards the top of that list. Between the people, that core leadership group when we were launching, which was Amy Rosenfeld on the production side, Rosalyn Durant and Stacie McCollum on the programming side, the four of us just spent so much time together. So those relationships were invaluable.

“And there was the development of on-air talent that were coming to us with little or no experience, and being able to bring everybody together and formulate our own team and watch the chemistry grow as we got closer to launch. And there was the pride that everyone took as we were approaching the launch and and launching the network, the long hours, the crazy work that we were all doing, but knowing that at at the end of the day when that network launched, it was going to be something that we all had great pride in. So for me, that’s what I will most fondly remember about my time.”

And Michiaels said he’s ecstatic about what the network’s future may hold.

“It’s a great time to be involved with a property like this.”