During this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumna Courtney Lyle (’12) of ESPN and the SEC Network will deliver NBC’s play-by-play for men’s and women’s field hockey alongside Olympic ice hockey medalist and analyst A. J. Mleczko. When the announcement was made, Lyle tweeted, “Athletes dream of playing in the Olympics. Announcers dream of calling them. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of NBC’s field hockey coverage this year!!! Dream Come True!!!”

Lyle and Mleczko will broadcast from NBC studios in Stamford, Connecticut, beginning August 1. “We will have a feed of the match from Tokyo and call it live off the monitor, just like we do for other remote broadcasts,” said Lyle. Twelve teams have qualified for pool play. (Neither the men’s nor women’s US teams qualified.) Eight teams will make the quarterfinals.

To prepare, Lyle watched all the previous field hockey matches from the Rio Olympics, talked with friends who played the sport, and researched each team. “I enjoy that part of it,” she said. “I love a good challenge. It’s an honor, too. It’s been fun to dig in and read about these amazing individuals who have a shot at a gold medal. I hope to be able to share their stories as the games continue. That’s my favorite part of my job.”

Continue reading the feature story on the UTK news site.