ESPN airs 2010 Heisman Trophy Presentation Dec. 11

By Ryan Berenz

College football’s top individual award, the Heisman Trophy, is presented to the most outstanding player of the year in a ceremony from the Best Buy Theatre in New York’s Times Square. Players invited to the ceremony are Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, Oregon running back LaMichael James, Boise State QB Kellen Moore and Stanford signal caller Andrew Luck. Last year, Alabama RB Mark Ingram became the award’s 75th recipient. Here’s the release and coverage details from ESPN:

Heisman Trophy Presented on ESPN Saturday

ESPN will continue its comprehensive college football coverage with an exclusive telecast of the 76th annual Heisman Trophy Presentation Presented by Nissan Saturday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The live telecast from the Best Buy Theater in New York City, will be simulcast on ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV and be aired in high definition for the third straight year on ESPN HD. ESPN Radio will also broadcast the announcement of the winner.

The four finalists were announced by 1991 Heisman Trophy winner, College GameDay Built by The Home Depot analyst and 2010 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Desmond Howard on ESPN’s 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on Monday, Dec. 6. The list comprises running back LaMichael James (Oregon) and quarterbacks Andrew Luck (Stanford), Kellen Moore (Boise State) and Cameron Newton (Auburn).

Production details:

• Howard and his fellow College GameDay Built by The Home Depot colleagues Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will be joined by ESPN college football commentator Joe Tessitore.
• ESPN’s 15th year of televising the presentation of the prestigious award includes interviews with and features on all the finalists in attendance and interviews with their head coaches.
• A three-hour broadcast on ESPN Radio with Football Tonight host Freddie Coleman and ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr. beginning at 7 p.m. features live interviews with all four finalists, plus the live announcement of the winner and his acceptance speech.
• A 65-inch touch screen monitor application – similar to ones used during presidential elections –to analyze the voting regions and results.
• A celebration of past Heisman trophy winners will highlight the 25th anniversary of Bo Jackson’s (Auburn) in 1985 win and the 50th anniversary of Joe Bellino’s (Navy) in 1960 win.
• The finale of ESPN Films’ critically acclaimed “30 for 30” series, Pony Exce$$, will be televised immediately following the Heisman telecast (9-11 p.m.) on ESPN. The two-hour documentary, directed by Thaddeus D. Matula, looks at the dominating Southern Methodist University Mustangs of the early ‘80s. While the wins were stacking up, so were the frequent NCAA violations, and finally on February 25, 1987, the NCAA meted out “the death penalty” on a college football program for the first and only time in its history. Pony Exce$$ shines the light on the city of Dallas in the 1980s and chronicles the rise, fall, and rebirth of this once mighty team.