Broyles Award to get statewide publicity elevation as national stature grows

The Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation announced this week that the 2017 Broyles Award ceremony will be broadcast live and commercial free on KATV Channel 7, December 5th at 12:00 p.m.

This marks the first time in the event’s 22-year history that the entire ceremony has been broadcast live on television. KFSM in Northwest Arkansas and KAIT in Northeast Arkansas will also provide a statewide simulcast of the Broyles Award. Live-streams of the ceremony will be available on KATV.com and on KATV’s Facebook page.

KATV, KAIT and KFSM are all content partners with Talk Business & Politics.

“KATV has been the TV sponsor for the Broyles Award since the very beginning,” said KATV General Manager Mark Rose. “We are excited to take our partnership to the next level by broadcasting this exciting event to our viewers, as well as to football fans all across the state.”

The Broyles Award was established by David Bazzel in 1996 to recognize the top assistant coach in college football, and has grown to be one of the most respected and prestigious awards in college football.

Rex Nelson, who appeared on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, said the award will take on new meaning because of the passing of the Razorback legend earlier this year.

“With the loss of Coach Broyles, yes, and again, the national stature of that award has grown,” said Nelson. “It is amazing, and I know you noticed this, of how much now, on national television broadcasts you will hear, either X, ‘he’s a formal Broyles Award winner,’ or Y, ‘you know, he’s been nominated for the Broyles Award,’ or Z, ‘he would be a good one for the Broyles Award.’ Constant mentions, I mean, it has entered the landscape of college football nationally, and that’s hats off to David Bazzel and all the people who’ve made that a true national award that gets a lot of recognition that’s based right here in Arkansas.”

(More of Nelson’s interview on this and several national sports controversies is at the end of this post.)

In 2016, the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation took the reins of the Broyles Award.

“As we embark on a year of ‘firsts’ without my grandpa, I can’t think of a better partner than KATV to represent his dedication to assistant coaches and passion for Alzheimer’s caregivers during the first live broadcast of the Broyles Award,“ said Molly Arnold, vice president of the Frank & Barbara Broyles foundation and granddaughter of Frank Broyles. “For nearly 60 years they’ve been part of our family’s history. We are honored to continue the tradition through the partnership with the Broyles Foundation and for Channel 7 to now be a part of Alzheimer’s caregiving families as well.”

David Bazzel will again serve as emcee for the Broyles Award beginning at noon on Dec. 5. KATV’s broadcast will begin thirty minutes earlier at 11:30 a.m., with a Broyles Award preview special hosted by KATV Sports Director Steve Sullivan. The special will highlight past winners, current finalists, and the mission of the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation.

For more information about the Broyles Award, visit broylesaward.com. For more information about the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation, visit broylesfoundation.com.