TV Center, WMSV radio station give inside look at MSU Athletics with ‘Maroon and White Tonight’ show

Contact: Sasha Steinberg

Neil Price and Anthony Craven sit at a large desk in the University Television Center studio on the set of “Maroon and White Tonight.”
“Voice of the Bulldogs” Neil Price, left, and WMSV Radio Station General Manager Anthony Craven are co-hosts of “Maroon and White Tonight,” a weekly, half-hour sports update show that provides a comprehensive overview of MSU’s athletic teams. (Photo by David Garraway)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Television Center and WMSV radio station are teaming up to produce “Maroon and White Tonight,” a weekly, half-hour sports update show enhancing the fan experience for the Bulldog faithful with a comprehensive overview of MSU Athletics’ teams and their seasons.

Co-hosted by “Voice of the Bulldogs” Neil Price and WMSV General Manager Anthony Craven, “Maroon and White Tonight” features news, highlights, interviews and other engaging and informative content giving an inside look at current Bulldog sporting events and programs.

Episodes are live streamed at www.mstv.msstate.edu and can be found online at https://vimeo.com/channels/mwtonight. MaxxSouth Broadband and CSpire cable subscribers also can watch on MSU’s cable channel MSTV. Beginning Oct. 5, WCBI will air the show on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. on MyMS/WCBI 4.2. WMSV 91.1 FM also airs the show at 6 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m. on Saturdays and has made it available as a podcast on iTunes.

Since becoming part of the MSU family in 2017, Price has served as radio play-by-play announcer for Bulldog football and men’s basketball broadcasts, as well as host of coaches’ shows, while overseeing various digital responsibilities. On July 1, he joined the University Television Center as MSTV manager, a role for which center director David Garraway said Price is “a natural fit.”

“We’re truly excited and know the future is bright with Neil on board. He is representing the university well as ‘Voice of the Bulldogs,’ and his skill set and the connections he brings make him well-suited to lead the university’s cable channel forward both in terms of content volume and quality,” Garraway said.

Also executive producer of “Maroon and White Tonight,” Garraway said the show represents a collaboration between colleagues on campus and across the region.

“There’s nothing like this on the market right now,” he said. “We appreciate our relationships with media in the Golden Triangle and this opportunity to partner with the campus radio station. The MSU Athletics’ staff also has been great to work with as we produce this show.”

Price, who serves as the show’s producer, expressed particular appreciation for the support of MSU Athletics’ colleagues Drew Walker and Leah Beasley, as well as football analyst and broadcaster Matt Wyatt, all who regularly provide video highlights, interview coordination assistance and guest commentary for “Maroon and White Tonight.”

Along with reading, researching and writing about MSU sports, Price said he enjoys preparing for the show by working with colleagues at other institutions. For example, when reporting on an upcoming MSU football matchup, he has interviewed play-by-play counterparts at the opposing university to provide fans with a holistic view and better understanding of the visiting team.

“We can give fans more than just the bullet points because we don’t have the time constraints of a two- to four-minute sportscast,” Price said when describing how the show stands out among others on the market. “We want to share our university stories with people who are passionate about Mississippi State Athletics, and we want to have fun doing it.”

Craven said the show is another successful collaboration between WMSV and the University Television Center.

“Neil, David and the entire TV Center crew are great to work with,” said Craven, who also serves as the public address announcer at MSU football and basketball games. “It’s always exciting to bring fresh content and perspectives to our campus media platforms. Maroon and White Tonight makes a great addition to our programming schedule.”

Garraway said the addition of “Maroon and White Tonight” to the TV Center’s programming repertoire could open the door to field reporting segments and other opportunities for students to gain real-world experience benefiting their education and future careers.

For more on “Maroon and White Tonight” or to catch up on recent episodes, visit https://vimeo.com/channels/mwtonight.

A division of MSU’s Office of Public Affairs, the University Television Center uses a wide range of field and studio production capabilities to provide high quality, cost-effective production services to the university community and clients across the country.

For more on MSU’s Office of Public Affairs, visit www.opa.msstate.edu; University Television Center, www.utc.msstate.edu; WMSV radio station, www.wmsv.msstate.edu; MSU’s Department of Athletics, www.hailstate.com.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.