UCLA report: Broadcaster faces challenge of calling four games in three days

UCLA broadcaster Josh Lewin’s schedule is getting crazy again, which means it’s going to be another weekend of planes, Ubers and automobiles.

Calling four games in three days will be the easy part. Getting from the Rose Bowl to Qualcomm Stadium to Pauley Pavilion in a 20-hour span will take some doing.

After handling play-by-play of UCLA’s football game against Oregon State on Saturday evening, Lewin’s schedule called for him to drive a rental car to Oceanside and spend the night in a hotel. He was traveling light, having stuffed two changes of clothes and his game prep materials into a backpack.

Lewin intended to return his rental car Sunday morning and take an Uber to Qualcomm for the San Diego Chargers’ 1 p.m. game against the Miami Dolphins. The plan after the game was to race to nearby Montgomery Field Airport, where a friend’s friend would whisk him in his private plane to Santa Monica Airport in exchange for free Chargers tickets.

Lewin wasn’t sure if the plane’s being a two-seater meant those seats were for the passengers.

“I have no idea,” Lewin said. “I think I’m the co-pilot.”

Lewin was scheduled to arrive in Santa Monica around 5:15 p.m., about 50 minutes before tipoff of UCLA’s basketball game against Cal State Northridge at Pauley Pavilion. Lewin said his agency had arranged to have a driver take him to the basketball game, using the Waze app to navigate traffic.

If Lewin is running late, John Ramey, who broadcasts other UCLA sports, will fill in until he arrives. There is one potential snag that could keep Lewin from getting there until halftime or later.

“The only thing that would kill it would be some deep-to-the-end-of-overtime tie,” Lewin said, referring to the Chargers’ game.

Lewin, who also called UCLA’s basketball opener against Pacific on Friday night, is used to overlapping schedules because he works as the play-by-play broadcaster for the New York Mets in addition to his duties for the Bruins and Chargers. But few weekends are as wild as this.

“It’s once a year,” Lewin said. “It’s just when the worlds collide.”

Honoring the military

UCLA wore special alternate uniforms Saturday as part of its Military Appreciation Day. The dark blue uniforms featured a military-style stenciled UCLA word mark and matching helmets with the American flag cut out in the school’s letters.

The athletic department will auction off several helmets at www.uclabruins.com/auctions to support The Volunteers of America’s Blue Butterfly Village, which offers subsidized housing for veterans and their children.

New starter

UCLA sophomore linebacker Josh Woods started in place of senior Cameron Judge, who also played against Oregon State.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

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