MOBILE, Ala. – Broadcasts of the University of South Alabama football program's games this fall will feature a new face and expanded coverage, Department of Athletics Director of Broadcasting J.D. Byars revealed on Monday.

Byars will once again call the play-by-play action for Jaguar football, and he will be joined for the second straight season by USA Director of Multi-Media Pat Greenwood in the role of analyst.  The Jags will have a new sideline reporter in 2015, as the team's former beat writer for the Mobile Press-Register/AL.com Tommy Hicks will serve in the role, with JT Crabtree returning for his second year as halftime host and engineer.

Byars also announced that over the spring and summer a total of five FM affiliates have joined the network, bringing the total number of stations carrying Jaguar Football and related programming to eight.

WMXC Lite Mix 99.9 FM — a 100,000 watt FM iHeartRadio station based in Mobile — will once again serve as the flagship for football game days.  Stations joining the network in 2015 include: WBMH 106.1 FM (Grove Hill and Jackson), WFMH 95.5 FM (Hamilton, Jasper, Russellville and Tupelo [Miss.]), WOAB 104.9 FM (Dothan, Enterprise and Ozark), WVRV 101.5 FM (Montgomery and Prattville) and WVRV 97.5 FM (Troy).

It was also announced that pregame football coverage has also expanded to two full hours on game days, with Crabtree slated to host the first hour.  For home games, the "Coors Light Tailgate Party" will originate from outside Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the Fan Fest area adjacent to Jag City.  The final hour of pregame, presented by Winn Dixie, will be hosted from the booth.  For away games, both hours will originate from inside the stadium.

The Joey Jones Radio Show will return on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. and will again originate from Baumhower's Wings Sports Grille on Airport Boulevard in Mobile.  Byars will host the one-hour, call-in program alongside USA's head coach for the second year.  The show can be heard on WNTM 710 AM locally, as well as on WTXK 107.5 FM and 1210 AM in Montgomery.

All Jaguar Athletic event broadcasts via terrestrial radio will once again be available — both online and on all mobile devices — for free world-wide via the iHeartRadio platform.  Once the app has been downloaded, Jaguar fans will only need to enter the appropriate flagship call letters to listen live; use "WMXC"for football games and "WNTM" for all other broadcasts.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—