espn bowl game announcer assignments

ESPN Unveils Commentator Teams for Exclusive Coverage of the College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six and Industry-Leading 40-Game Bowl Season Slate

ESPN’s industry-leading coverage of the 2022 college football postseason will feature a 40-game bowl schedule, culminating with the exclusive presentation of the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T (7:30 p.m. ET) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday, Jan. 9.

The CFP begins on Saturday, Dec. 31 with the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl featuring No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU (4 p.m.) from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., followed by the CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State (8 p.m.) from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both CFP semifinals and the National Championship will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, with alternate presentations available across ESPN platforms. ESPN Radio will also broadcast all three games.

ESPN’s overall Bowl Season slate commences Friday, Dec. 16, and completes the extensive 1,000+ game schedule carried across ESPN platforms this year. Additional production details for both the College Football Playoff and the New Year’s Six will be announced in the coming days.

Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit Call Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl; Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge Announce Vrbo Fiesta Bowl In the broadcast booth,  Chris Fowler  and  Kirk Herbstreit  will call the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, while Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge team up for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Fowler, Herbstreit and Blackledge have called a CFP Semifinal all nine years of the system, with Fowler and Herbstreit working together in each of those years. McDonough is calling his fifth consecutive CFP Semifinal with Blackledge.

Veteran CFP Reporters Holly Rowe, Laura Rutledge and Molly McGrath Set for Semifinal Sidelines; Tiffany Blackmon Makes CFP Semifinal Debut ESPN will utilize reporters  Holly Rowe  and  Laura Rutledge  at the Peach Bowl, Rowe’s ninth CFP Semifinal on either TV or radio and Rutledge’s fifth. At the Fiesta Bowl,  Molly McGrath and Tiffany Blackmon will report, McGrath’s second TV appearance in the CFP Semifinals and Blackmon’s first CFP assignment. Not a newcomer to the New Year’s Six, Blackmon was a sideline reporter for last year’s Rose Bowl Game and recently hosted the CFP’s Kickoff Media Event in Los Angeles last month.

New Year’s Six Takes Center Stage ESPN’s presentation of the New Year’s Six will kick off with the Capital One Orange Bowl between Tennessee and Clemson. Joe Tessitore , Greg McElroy and Katie George will be on the call for the all-orange Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30. The Allstate Sugar Bowl starts the New Year’s Six festivities on New Year’s Eve, with Dave Pasch , Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill announcing the action between Alabama and Kansas State from the Big Easy. On Monday, Jan. 2, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic pits Tulane against USC in Arlington, featuring Mark Jones , Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich commentating from AT&T Stadium. And the Granddaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, is set to present the penultimate postseason matchup from Pasadena, as Chris Fowler , Kirk Herbstreit  and Holly Rowe are on the mic from Rose Bowl Stadium.

ESPN Radio Covers the CFP Semifinals Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George will call the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl from Atlanta, teaming up for their first CFP Semifinal as a trio. In Glendale, ESPN Radio’s top team of Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer and Ian Fitzsimmons will voice the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl for ESPN Radio. Anchoring the pre/half/post coverage from the Bristol studios will be  Kevin Winter  and  Trevor Matich . ESPN Radio will broadcast all New Year’s Six games, with all assignments included below.

ESPN Events Begins the Bowl Season ESPN Events announced the matchups for its 17 owned and operated college football bowl games for the 2022-23 Bowl Season. The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl (11:30 a.m., ESPN) in Nassau will kick off the schedule on Friday, Dec. 16, followed later that day by the Duluth Trading Cure Bowl (3 p.m., ESPN) in Orlando. In all, 15 of the ESPN Events bowl games will air on ESPN. On Saturday, Dec. 17, the Cricket Celebration Bowl (noon) and the New Mexico Bowl (7:30 p.m.) will air on ABC. The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will play its inaugural game at historic Fenway Park in Boston on Dec. 17 (11 a.m., ESPN), and the EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl will be played for the first time in three years on Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24 (8 p.m., ESPN). The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl will also celebrate its 20th anniversary edition on Thursday, Dec. 22 (7:30 p.m., ESPN). Full details .

Additional Postseason Highlights:

• Bahamas Bowl Gets New Crew:   Joey Galloway and  Kris Budden  will team up with the “unofficial, official voice of the Bahamas Bowl” Steve Levy to announce the action from Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, kicking off the 2022-23 Bowl Season schedule.
• Viva Las Vegas: College GameDay Built by The Home Depot commentators Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee will team up in the booth for the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, joining SEC Nation and NFL Live host Laura Rutledge and Arizona Cardinals play-by-play commentator Dave Pasch , who called the Cardinals’ overtime win against the Raiders earlier this season at Allegiant Stadium.
• Postseason Premiere:  Making his first Bowl Season appearance on ESPN,  Dan Mullen  will provide commentary for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 2:30 p.m. Mullen has served as both a booth and studio analyst in his rookie season at ESPN.
• Alma Mater Matchups: Kirk Herbstreit (Ohio State), Alyssa Lang (South Carolina), Taylor McGregor (Arkansas), Holly Rowe (Utah) and Laura Rutledge (Florida) will each get to call bowl games featuring their alma maters
• Boston Bound:  Boston College alum Mark Herzlich will provide analysis for the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m.). In addition to calling this bowl game at historic Fenway Park, Herzlich will also call the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Thursday, Dec. 29, 2 p.m.) at another iconic ballpark – Yankee Stadium.
• Back to the ATL:   Tiffany Greene  and Jay Walker will call the Cricket Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 17 at noon on ABC. The duo kicked off the season there in Week 0 as part of the crew that called the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Joining them on the sidelines are Atlanta residents Tiffany Blackmon (ABC) and Harry Lyles Jr. (ESPN Radio).
• Queen City Commentator:  The Duke’s Mayo Bowl returns a familiar voice on play-by-play, as Carolina Panthers play-by-play commentator – and mayonnaise/cookie connoisseur – Anish Shroff  calls Maryland vs. NC State on Friday, Dec. 30 at noon. Joining him on ESPN is Andraya Carter , who is also currently a Charlottean.
• Return to the 904: Alyssa Lang  returns to Jacksonville, Fla., where she worked for two years before her start at ESPN and SEC Network, to call the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Friday, Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m.)
• Armed Forces Feature: This year’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl assignment has special meaning for Lauren Sisler . Her late father was a U.S. Navy veteran and her older brother served in the Navy for 12 years.
• Multiplatform: ESPN Radio will broadcast a record 22 games; ESPN Deportes will televise approximately 30 games (subject to change) with additional production details to follow.

2022-23 College Football Bowl Schedule on ESPN Platforms

* ESPN Events bowl games

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Espn assigns broadcasters for 41 bowl games.

“The network has yet to announce its broadcast crews for the national championship game.”

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The 2021 college football bowl season is upon us! The regular season has come and gone, conference champions have been crowned, and the College Football Playoff field has been set.

ESPN will carry 41 bowl games this season. That begins Dec. 17 at noon with the Bahamas Bowl featuring Middle Tennessee and Toledo and ends Jan. 10 with the CFP National Championship game in Indianapolis.

The network announced on Wednesday its broadcasting teams on the TV and radio sides for the CFP semifinal games, the Capital One Orange Bowl featuring top-seeded Alabama versus number four seed Cincinnati, and the Cotton Bowl Classic featuring a 2 vs. 3 seed matchup in Michigan and Georgia.

In Miami Gardens for the Orange Bowl, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will be in the TV broadcast booth while Holly Rowe and Marty Smith will handle sideline reporting duties. For ESPN Radio, Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich will be on the call.

In Arlington for the Cotton Bowl, play-by-play will be handled by Sean McDonough, color commentary from Todd Blackledge, with Molly McGrath and Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines. Sean Kelley, Barrett Jones and Ian Fitzsimmons will handle radio duties.

Kevin Winter and Kirk Morrison will be back in Bristol, Conn. handling pre-game, halftime and post-game festivities for ESPN Radio.

The network has yet to announce its broadcast crews for the national championship game.

But ESPN did announce who would be calling the New Year’s Six lineup of games, which includes the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One, the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

In Atlanta for the Peach Bowl will be Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich. Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden will be in Glendale for the Fiesta Bowl. Fowler, Herbstreit and Rowe, along with Tiffany Blackmon, will call the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, while in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl will be Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George.

The full lineup of broadcasters being used for all 41 bowl games the ESPN family of networks is carrying can be found at this link .

Jordan Bondurant is a features reporter for Barrett Sports Media. He’s a multimedia journalist and communicator who works at the Virginia State Corporation Commission in Richmond. Jordan also contributes occasional coverage of the Washington Capitals for the blog NoVa Caps. His prior media experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, WRIC-TV 8News and Audacy Richmond. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @J__Bondurant.

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College football announcers 2022: who is calling every bowl game on tv, share this article.

One of college football’s greatest traditions is finally upon us once more: bowl season.

Admittedly, between the institution of the College Football Playoff and the proliferation of players opting out to prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft , the postseason has lost a bit of luster. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be tons of fantastic football to consume this holiday season.

Bowl season officially began on Friday morning with the Bahamas Bowl matchup between UAB beating Miami (Ohio). Friday also featured one of the only three contests pitting ranked opponents against each other outside of the New Year’s Six in the Cure Bowl between No. 24 Troy beating No. 25 UTSA, the respective champions out of the Sun Belt and Conference USA.

However, things kick into full swing on Saturday with a full slate of games, including a matchup between Power Five opponents. Here’s the television info and broadcasting team for every bowl game.

Note: All times are listed in ET.

Saturday, Dec. 17 - Wasabi Fenway Bowl (ESPN, 11 a.m.)

After two years of cancellations, Fenway Park is ready for its first bowl game 🏟 pic.twitter.com/Ryg4UkizrE — Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 16, 2022

Matchup : Cincinnati vs. Louisville

Commentators : Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Kelsey Riggs

Saturday, Dec. 17 - Cricket Celebration Bowl (ABC, Noon)

Syndication: The Clarion-Ledger

Matchup : Jackson State vs. North Carolina Central

Commentators : Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Tiffany Blackmon

Saturday, Dec. 17 - SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Florida vs. No. 14 Oregon State

Commentators : Dave Pasch, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Laura Rutledge

Saturday, Dec. 17 - Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Matchup : Washington State vs. Fresno State

Commentators : Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath

Saturday, Dec. 17 - LendingTree Bowl (ESPN, 5:45 p.m.)

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Rice vs. Southern Miss

Commentators : Mike Monaco, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang

Saturday, Dec. 17 - New Mexico Bowl (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)

Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : SMU vs. BYU

Commentators : Tom Hart, Brock Osweiler, Taylor McGregor

Saturday, Dec. 17 - Frisco Bowl (ESPN, 9:15 p.m.)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : North Texas vs. Boise State

Commentators : Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister, Andraya Carter

Monday, Dec. 19 - Myrtle Beach Bowl (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)

David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Marshall vs. UConn

Commentators : Mike Morgan, Eric Mac Lain, Tera Talmadge

Tuesday, Dec. 20 - Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)

AP Photo/Steve Conner

Matchup : Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State

Commentators : Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Dawn Davenport

Tuesday, Dec. 20 - RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Liberty vs. Toledo

Commentators : Anish Shroff, Tim Hasselbeck, TBD

Wednesday, Dec. 21 - R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (ESPN, 9 p.m.)

Syndication: The Daily Advertiser

Matchup : Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama

Commentators : Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Taylor Davis

Thursday, Dec. 22 - Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)

Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Baylor vs. Air Force

Commentators : Brian Custer, Dustin Fox, Lauren Sisler

Friday, Dec. 23 - Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (ESPN, 3 p.m.)

Syndication: Shreveport Times/The Times

Matchup : Louisiana vs. Houston

Commentators : Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister, Harry Lyles Jr.

Friday, Dec. 23 - Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.)

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Matchup : Wake Forest vs. Missouri

Commentators : Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Lericia Harris

Saturday, Dec. 24 - EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl

Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State

Commentators : Mike Monaco, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

Monday, Dec. 26 - Quick Lane Bowl (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : New Mexico State vs. Bowling Green

Commentators : John Schriffen, Rene Ingoglia, Tera Talmadge

Tuesday, Dec. 27 - Camellia Bowl (ESPN, Noon)

Mickey Welsh-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Georgia Southern vs. Buffalo

Commentators : Drew Carter, Aaron Murray, Lauren Sisler

Tuesday, Dec. 27 - SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (ESPN, 3:15 p.m.)

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Memphis vs. Utah State

Commentators : Mike Monaco, Charles Arbuckle, Nicole Rigoni

Tuesday, Dec. 27 - TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl (ESPN, 6:45 p.m.)

Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser

Matchup : Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina

Commentators : Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Jalyn Johnson

Tuesday, Dec. 27 - Guaranteed Rate Bowl (ESPN, 10:15 p.m.)

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Matchup : Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State

Commentators : Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - Military Bowl Presented by Peraton (ESPN, 2 p.m.)

Syndication: Cincinnati

Matchup : UCF vs. Duke

Commentators : Kevin Brown, Hutson Mason, Marilyn Payne

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - AutoZone Liberty Bowl (ESPN, 5:30 p.m.)

Syndication: The Commercial Appeal

Matchup : Kansas vs. Arkansas

Commentators : Dave O’Brien, Dan Mullen, Taylor McGregor

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl (FOX, 8 p.m.)

Matchup : No. 15 Oregon vs. North Carolina

Commentators : Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - TaxAct Texas Bowl (ESPN, 9 p.m.)

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

Commentators : Roy Philpott, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra

Thursday, Dec. 29 - Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (ESPN, 2 p.m.)

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Syracuse vs. Minnesota

Thursday, Dec. 29 - Cheez-It Bowl (ESPN, 5:30 p.m.)

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Florida State

Commentators : Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden

Thursday, Dec. 29 - Valero Alamo Bowl (ESPN, 9 p.m.)

Matchup : No. 20 Texas vs. No. 12 Washington

Commentators : Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic

Friday, Dec. 30 - Duke's Mayo Bowl (ESPN, Noon)

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Matchup : Maryland vs. No. 23 NC State

Commentators : Anish Shroff, Brock Osweiler, Andraya Carter

Friday, Dec. 30 - Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (CBS, 2 p.m.)

Matchup : Pittsburgh vs. No. 18 UCLA

Commentators : Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jenny Dell

Friday, Dec. 30 - TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)

Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Matchup : No. 21 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 South Carolina

Commentators : Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang

Friday, Dec. 30 - Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl (Barstool, 4:30 p.m.)

Matchup : Ohio vs. Wyoming

Commentators : Jake Marsh, Dan Katz, Dave Portnoy

Friday, Dec. 30 - Capital One Orange Bowl (ESPN, 8 p.m.)

Syndication: Online Athens

Matchup : No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson

Commentators : Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Katie George

Saturday, Dec. 31 - TransPerfect Music City Bowl (ABC, Noon)

Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Matchup : Iowa vs. Kentucky

Commentators : Matt Barrie, Louis Riddick, Harry Lyles Jr.

Saturday, Dec. 31 - Allstate Sugar Bowl (ESPN, Noon)

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State

Commentators : Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Tom Luginbill

Saturday, Dec. 31 - College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (ESPN, 4 p.m.)

Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU

Commentators : Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Molly McGrath, Tiffany Blackmon

Saturday, Dec. 31 - College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (ESPN, 8 p.m.)

Syndication: The Enquirer

Matchup : No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State

Commentators : Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Laura Rutledge

Monday, Jan. 2 - ReliaQuest Bowl (ESPN2, Noon)

Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup : No. 22 Mississippi State vs. Illinois

Commentators : Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, Tiffany Blackmon

Monday, Jan. 2 - Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (ABC, 1 p.m.)

Matchup : No. 17 LSU vs. Purdue

Monday, Jan. 2 - Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (ESPN, 1 p.m.)

Matchup : No. 16 Tulane vs. No. 10 USC

Commentators : Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, Quint Kessenich

Monday, Jan. 2 - Rose Bowl Game (ESPN, 5 p.m.)

Matchup : No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 8 Utah

Commentators : Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe

Monday, Jan. 9 - College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Matchup : Michigan/TCU vs. Georgia/Ohio State

Commentators : Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath

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2023 College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six bowl announcers set

Photo: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 College Football Playoff and New Year’s six bowl game announcers have been set, according to an announcement by ESPN on Thursday.

The two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups this season are set to be played on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. The first matchup features the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines facing the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. The game is set to begin at 5:00pm ET / 2:00pm PT on ESPN.

The ESPN TV announcing crew for the Rose Bowl is Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter), and Laura Rutledge (reporter). The ESPN radio broadcast will feature Joe Tessitore, Dusty Dvoracek, and Quint Kessenich.

The College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl will feature the No. 2 Washington Huskies versus the No. 3 Texas Longhorns at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. The game will also be televised by ESPN, with the kickoff following the Rose Bowl at 8:45pm ET / 7:45pm CT.

The crew for the Sugar Bowl includes Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (reporter), and Katie George (reporter). Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, and Ian Fitzsimmons will cover the game for ESPN radio.

The winners of the two semifinal contests will meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will be televised by ESPN at 7:30pm ET and will feature a crew consisting of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, and Molly McGrath.

Below is the complete schedule of College Football Playoff Semifinals and New Year’s Six games for the 2023-24 season with announcer lineups.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29, 2023

Goodyear Cotton Bowl (9) Missouri vs. (7) Ohio State AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX Buy Tickets

TV: 8:00pm ET, ESPN/ESPN+ Crew: Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Tom Luginbill

SATURDAY, DEC. 30, 2023

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (11) Ole Miss vs. (10) Penn State Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA Buy Tickets

TV: 12:00pm ET, ESPN/ESPN+ Crew: Mark Jones, Louis Riddick, Quint Kessenich

Capital One Orange Bowl (6) Georgia vs. (5) Florida State Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL Buy Tickets

TV: 4:00pm ET, ESPN/ESPN+ Crew: Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George

MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2024

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (23) Liberty vs. (8) Oregon State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ Buy Tickets

TV: 1:00pm ET, ESPN Crew: Bob Wischusen, Robert Griffin III, Kris Budden

Rose Bowl Game – CFP Semifinal (4) Alabama vs. (1) Michigan Rose Bowl Stadium – Pasadena, CA Buy Tickets

TV: 5:00pm ET, ESPN Crew: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Laura Rutledge

Allstate Sugar Bowl – CFP Semifinal (3) Texas vs. (2) Washington Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, LA Buy Tickets

TV: 8:45pm ET, ESPN Crew: Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath, Katie George

MONDAY, JAN. 8, 2024

CFP National Championship Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 | 7:30pm ET, ESPN NRG Stadium – Houston, TX Buy Tickets

TV: 7:30pm ET, ESPN Crew: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath

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Your 2022-23 college football bowl game announcing schedule

Friday, December 16th

Bahamas Bowl Miami, Ohio vs UAB 11:30 AM ESPN Steve Levy, Joey Galloway, Kris Budden ESPN Radio: Kevin Winter, Freddie Coleman

Cure Bowl UTSA vs Troy 3 PM ESPN Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony Bowl Season Radio: Jamie S’eh, Landry Burdine, Despina Barton

Saturday, December 17th

Fenway Bowl Cincinnati vs Louisville 11 AM ESPN Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Kelsey Riggs Bowl Season Radio: Travis Jones, John Denton, David Beaudin

Celebration Bowl Jackson State vs North Carolina Central 12 PM ABC Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Tiffany Blackmon ESPN Radio: Anish Shroff, Max Starks, Harry Lyles Jr

Las Vegas Bowl Florida vs Oregon State 2:30 PM ESPN Dave Pasch, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Laura Rutledge Bowl Season Radio: Brian Roth, Elvis Gallegos, Tim Murray

LA Bowl Washington State vs Fresno State 3:30 PM ABC Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath ESPN Radio: Jorge Sedano, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

LendingTree Bowl Rice vs Southern Miss 5:45 PM ESPN Mike Monaco, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang Bowl Season Radio: Mike Grace, Cole Cubelic, Randy Kenndy

New Mexico Bowl SMU vs BYU 7:30 PM ABC Tom Hart, Brock Osweiler, Taylor McGregor ESPN Radio: Jay Alter, Dave Steckel

Frisco Bowl North Texas vs Boise State 9:15 PM ESPN Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister, Andraya Carter Bowl Season Radio: Brian Estridge, Landry Burdine, Chris Mycoskie

Monday, December 19th

Myrtle Beach Bowl Marshall vs UConn 2:30 PM ESPN Mike Morgan, Eric Mac Lain, Tera Talmadge Bowl Season Radio: Travis Jones, Jay Sonnhalter, Molly Cotten

Tuesday, December 20th

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State 3:30 PM ESPN Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Dawn Davenport Bowl Season Radio: Brian Roth, Hans Olsen, Tim Murray

Boca Raton Bowl Liberty vs Toledo 7:30 PM ESPN Anish Shroff, Tim Hasselbeck, TBD ESPN Radio: Chris Carlin, Rene Ingoglia

Wednesday, December 21st

New Orleans Bowl Western Kentucky vs South Alabama 9 PM ESPN Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Taylor Davis ESPN Radio: Mike Corey, Forrest Conoly

Thursday, December 22nd

Armed Forces Bowl Baylor vs Air Force 7:30 PM ESPN Brian Custer, Dustin Fox, Lauren Sisler Bowl Season Radio: Brian Estridge, Landry Burdine, Chris Mycoskie

Friday, December 23rd

Independence Bowl Louisiana vs Houston 3 PM ESPN Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister, Harry Lyles Jr. Bowl Season Radio: Brian Estridge, Justin Fuente,, David Beaudin

Gasparilla Bowl Wake Forest vs Missouri 6:30 PM ESPN Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Lericia Harris Bowl Season Radio: Bill Roth, John Denton, Brenna Sorensen

Saturday, December 24th

Hawaii Bowl Middle Tennessee vs San Diego State 8 PM ESPN Mike Monaco, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich ESPN Radio: Kevin Winter, Jack Ford

Monday, December 26th

Quick Lane Bowl New Mexico State vs Bowling Green 2:30 PM ESPN John Schriffen, Rene Ingoglia, Tera Talmadge Bowl Season Radio: Kyle Wiggs, John Denton, Adam Jaska

Tuesday, December 27th

Camellia Bowl Georgia Southern vs Buffalo 12 PM ESPN Drew Carter, Aaron Murray, Lauren Sisler Bowl Season Radio: J.D. Byars, Chad Pilcher

First Responder Bowl Memphis vs Utah State 12 PM ESPN Mike Monaco, Charles Arbuckle, Nicole Rigoni Bowl Season Radio: Brian Estridge, Justin Fuente, Chris Mycoskie

Birmingham Bowl Coastal Carolina vs East Carolina 12 PM ESPN Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Jalyn Johnson Bowl Season Radio: Travis Jones, John Denton, Chad Pilcher

Guaranteed Rate Bowl Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State 10:15 PM ESPN Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony ESPN Radio: Mike Couzens, Max Starks, Kelsey Riggs

Wednesday, December 28th

Military Bowl UCF vs Duke 2 PM ESPN Kevin Brown, Hutson Mason, Marilyn Payne Bowl Season Radio: Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller, Scott Wykoff

Liberty Bowl Kansas vs Arkansas 5:30 PM ESPN Dave O’Brien, Dan Mullen, Taylor McGregor ESPN Radio: Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Tera Talmadge

Holiday Bowl Oregon vs North Carolina 8 PM Fox TBD

Texas Bowl Texas Tech vs Ole Miss 9 PM ESPN Roy Philpott, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, Ian Fitzsimmons

Thursday, December 29th

Pinstripe Bowl Syracuse vs Minnesota 2 PM ESPN Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Taylor Davis ESPN Radio: Chris Carlin, Mark Herzlich, Dawn Davenport

Cheez-It Bowl Oklahoma vs Florida State 5:30 PM ESPN Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden ESPN Radio: Mike Morgan, Rene Ingoglia, Quint Kessenich

Alamo Bowl Texas vs Washington 9 PM ESPN Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic ESPN Radio: Jorge Sedano, Dustin Fox, Ian Fitzsimmons

Friday, December 30th

Duke’s Mayo Bowl Maryland vs NC State 12 PM ESPN Anish Shroff, Brock Osweiler, Andraya Carter ESPN Radio: Bill Roth, Charles Arbuckle, Lericia Harris

Sun Bowl Pitt vs UCLA 2 PM CBS Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jenny Dell Bowl Season Radio: Brian Roth, Justin Fuente, Rachel Phillips

Gator Bowl Notre Dame vs South Carolina 3:30 PM ESPN Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang

Arizona Bowl Ohio vs Wyoming 4:30 PM Barstool Jake Marsh, Dan Katz, Dave Portnoy, Adam Ferrone, Caleb Pressley

Orange Bowl Tennessee vs Clemson 8 PM ESPN Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Katie George ESPN Radio: Mike Couzens, Max Starks, Paul Carcaterra

Saturday, December 31st

Music City Bowl Iowa vs Kentucky 12 PM ABC Matt Barrie, Louis Riddick, Harry Lyles Jr. Bowl Season Radio: Joe Fisher, Hans Olsen, Amie Wells

Sugar Bowl Alabama vs Kansas State 12 PM ESPN Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Tom Luginbill ESPN Radio: Sean Kelley, Robert Griffin III, Stormy Buontantony

Fiesta Bowl (Playoff Semifinal) Michigan vs TCU 4 PM, ESPN Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Molly McGrath, Tiffany Blackmon ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, Ian Fitzsimmons

Peach Bowl (Playoff Semifinal) Georgia vs Ohio State 8 PM, ESPN Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Laura Rutledge ESPN Radio: Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Katie George

Monday, January 2nd

ReliaQuest Bowl Mississippi State vs Illinois 12 PM ESPN2 Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, Tiffany Blackmon Bowl Season Radio: Bill Roth, Hans Olsen, Despina Barton

Citrus Bowl LSU vs Purdue 1 PM ABC Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden ESPN Radio: Mike Couzens, Max Starks, Chris Doering

Cotton Bowl USC vs Tulane 1 PM ESPN Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, Quint Kessenich ESPN Radio: Brad Sham, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor

Rose Bowl Utah vs Penn State 5 PM ESPN Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, Ian Fitzsimmons

Monday, January 9th

College Football Playoff National Championship Georgia/Ohio State vs Michigan/TCU 7:30 PM ESPN Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath ESPN Radio: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Kris Budden, Ian Fitzsimmons

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NFL Week 15 announcer assignments

Here’s the full list of NFL announcing crew assignments for the league’s Week 15 slate:

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals , Dec. 16, NFL Network, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Chris Rose, Jason McCourty , Steve Wyche

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts , Dec. 16,, NFL Network, 4:30 p.m.

Announcers: Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Jamie Erdahl

Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions , Dec. 16, NFL Network, 8:15 p.m.

Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins , Dec. 17, CBS, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo , Tracy Wolfson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers , Dec. 17, CBS, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barner, Matt Ryan , AJ Ross

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans , Dec. 17, CBS, 1 p.m.

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, Aditi Kinkhabwala

New York Giants at New Orleans Saints , Dec. 17, FOX, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots , Dec. 17, FOX, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver

Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns , Dec. 17, FOX, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez , Laura Okmin

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers , Dec. 17, FOX, 1 p.m.

Announcers: Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Kristina Pink

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals , Dec. 17, CBS, 4:05 p.m.

Announcers: Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn

Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Chargers , Dec. 17, CBS, 4:05 p.m.

Announcers: Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely , Tiffany Blackmon

Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills , Dec. 17, FOX, 4:25 p.m.

Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen , Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi

Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars , Dec. 17, NBC, 8:20 p.m.

Announcers: Mike Tirico, Chris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark

Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks , Dec. 18, ESPN, 8:15 p.m.

Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters

Story originally appeared on Bills Wire

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ESPN Announces First Set of SEC Football Games to Air on ABC

Dan gartland | may 15, 2024.

SEC football is going to look at lot different this season.

For nearly 30 years, the conference’s marquee games were broadcast on CBS. Starting this year, though, the conference has a new television deal with ESPN that will move the biggest games of the week to ABC.

ESPN announced Wednesday at Disney’s annual Upfront presentation for advertisers the first set of games that have been chosen to air on ABC. Those games are as follows:

• South Carolina at Kentucky (3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 7)
• Tennessee vs. North Carolina State (7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 7 in Charlotte)
• Texas A&M at Florida (3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 14)
• Georgia at Kentucky (7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 14)
• Georgia at Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 28)
• Florida vs. Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville)

ESPN will announce the rest of its broadcast schedule for the first three weeks of the college football season on May 30.

CBS first broadcast SEC football in 1996, and the weekly game at 3:30 p.m. ET with the network's iconic intro theme became an indelible part of the sport. But that partnership came to an end when the SEC agreed in 2020 to a 10-year broadcast deal with ESPN that would begin with the 2024 season. The deal is worth $300 million annually (for a total of $3 billion over the length of the contract), which is more than five times the $55 million annual value of the previous deal with CBS.

Fans will still get to watch college football on CBS in the 3:30 window, though. It’s just that the network will trade the sun-soaked stadiums of the SEC for the gray skies of the Big Ten.

DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland writes Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is SI’s pro wrestling editor. Dan holds a degree in Communications and Media Studies from Fordham University.

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Inside the return of EA Sports College Football video game

Quinn Ewers, Travis Hunter and Donovan Edwards take part in the EA Sports College Football 25 video game cover shoot. (0:23)

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Daryl Holt shopped at a Books-A-Million near Auburn, Alabama, around Thanksgiving in 2019 when his clothes caught the attention of the person standing behind the counter. The EA Sports logo Holt wore led to the question he always received when wearing his company's gear publicly.

When is the college football video game coming back?

Holt smiled. It had always been a desire to bring back the college football video game, but at that moment Holt knew something no one else outside the EA Sports offices in Central Florida did. When he returned from his trip, he had another conversation ready to potentially solve concerns and bring back one of the most resonant titles in the company's catalog.

"I think I even said, 'I don't know, but maybe sooner than you think,'" Holt said. "And it kind of gave me that little extra push that I know that there were people that wanted this game to come back as much as I did, more so than I did."

Holt, now the senior vice president and group general manager of EA Sports, understood the concerns and questions his bosses might have when he pitched the potential return of EA Sports College Football in December 2019. He was ready for all of them when he stepped into a half-hour meeting with EA Sports president Cam Weber's offices at the company's former facility in Maitland, Florida.

Holt reframed how the company looked at the college football game -- one which EA Sports stopped making in 2013 in part due to a lawsuit from former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon surrounding name, image and likeness rights. NIL was still an unknown. So were logistics of reviving a franchise dormant for, at that point, more than six years. At one point during the meeting -- Holt wouldn't say how other than it was a creative solution the company ended up not needing -- Holt knew he had done it. Unofficially, EA was going to bring back college football.

It would be over a year, in February 2021, before EA Sports publicly announced the eventual return of the game. By then, EA Sports started assembling -- and in some cases reuniting -- the development staff. It took another three years to bring the game to market this upcoming July 19.

What happened between? Building a game from scratch, inventing technologies, reining in overambition and creating a foundational game for a returned year-to-year franchise. They collected assets from all 134 schools , packing in as much as they could. They navigated having -- and paying -- actual college football players in the game thanks to current NIL rules. They added components of NIL in the game along with the transfer portal.

If they needed a reminder of their mission, they didn't need to look far. On the wall of the college football development cluster at the EA Sports offices is a long banner with former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson and the EA Sports NCAA Football 14 cover. It's the last time the game was produced. They walk by it every day.

It led to a motivational mantra which kept focus and the need for authenticity in their aims.

"Every school is somebody's favorite school," Holt said. "Became kind of a rallying cry for us as a dev team."

TICKET STUBS LINE the back of Ben Haumiller's office on the third floor of EA Sports' Orlando headquarters. There's Florida State gear everywhere, too. Years ago, Haumiller was a college student at Florida State. He played in EA Sports' competition to find the best college football video game player in America.

He lost in the tournament in 1999, but it led to a job as a quality verification tester with the company and eventually as a designer and producer on the old version of NCAA Football. The game went away after the O'Bannon lawsuit, and Haumiller transferred to different areas of the company. Like many of his colleagues, Haumiller hoped for College Football's return.

EA Sports licensed a small number of schools as part of a college storyline in single-player mode for Madden '18 and Madden '20. Haumiller said putting college teams into the company's popular NFL franchise was a way to get universities comfortable with EA Sports again.

Then Holt made his pitch. The game was greenlit and hiring began.

"The opportunity came to come back on the development side," Haumiller said. "So I made that jump and came back to help get us on solid footing and where we go on this rebirth."

It was the game Haumiller, now the principal game designer for College Football, always wanted to work on.

Rob Jones, the senior production director of College Football, was Holt's first hire. A devout Michigan fan with memorabilia all over his office, Jones returned to EA in 2020 from 2K Sports, where he worked as a producer on the NBA 2K series for most of the 2000s and 2010s and helped launch the company's College Hoops series as the game's first producer. Together, he and Holt started building the college football team.

Holt said it was the easiest team he's built in his time at EA Sports because there were existing employees across the company and new hires who wanted to bring back college football. There was reverence for the game inside and outside the building. The dedication and passion were clear to Holt early on. Every conversation of the game became a debate of what might work best.

The passion for colleges is clear throughout the college football cubicles, where almost all have some marker of college football fandom.

With the team largely built, they needed to figure out how to make a game centered around authenticity. That meant everything: stadiums, rosters, mascots and crowds.

The team created a pageantry database, which became a rolling list of traditions and idiosyncrasies for all 134 FBS programs. They asked schools for help, added what they knew from their own college football fandoms and even scoured fan forums to find things they may have missed -- or to learn that a school no longer did tradition X or hand signal Y.

Production director Christian McLeod said every school had to have something. Not every tradition or chant or hand signal ended up in this year's game, but they wanted something for everyone.

"We want to make sure that, again, everybody's team is somebody's favorite," McLeod said. "Texas and Texas State need to feel the same when you're playing as them if you're a fan of that school."

Building this took time. In all, EA Sports received tens of thousands of assets from schools in addition to their own work. They asked for and compiled touchdown celebrations for each team and stadium, how players celebrate after turnovers, how teams run out of tunnels, crowd hand signals, chants on key downs and details for stadiums, mascots, cheerleaders and uniforms.

Once received and researched, they had to figure out how to build them.

THERE WERE SOME helpful things for the team at the start. Some stadiums -- including Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the SEC championship and USC's home field, the Los Angeles Coliseum, from when the NFL's Los Angeles Rams played games there -- could be taken from Madden and repainted for whatever uses necessary.

But the majority of the almost 150 stadiums in the game had to be built from scratch. Even though the Frostbite engine is the same as Madden, what the college football team needed to do was much different -- one of the many reasons EA Sports insists it won't look or feel the same as the Madden series.

At one point, developers went to Holt and said they weren't sure if they could get every stadium done in an authentic manner. It was a lot of space and capability. Both Holt and the development team knew the answer -- 50 wasn't going to cut it. They needed all 134.

As the team started construction, they began to look at innovative ways to solve problems and tech they could borrow from other EA games or create themselves. McLeod said they realized they needed a new lighting system in the game to create the scale they needed -- Global Illumination Based on Surfels , or what they commonly call GIBS. GIBS is a dynamic, real-time lighting system that helps create different atmospheres in the stadium for a noon game, a 3:30 game or a night game, including how light might refract off helmets.

With GIBS in place, the team created a Stadium Toolkit, which McLeod said allowed designers and developers to almost go brick by brick, section by section to recreate stadiums to make sure the color schemes were correct down to the individual railings, tunnels and walls. It almost, McLeod said, became like a virtual Lego set putting it all together.

While there were some pieces from NCAA Football 14 they could use, those stadiums and mascots were built on a different engine for a different console. Not much would translate, so they had to start from the beginning.

Building an empty stadium took about a week depending on the venue, with Syracuse's JMA Wireless Dome among the trickiest because it was indoors and cavernous, so lighting had to be set up a bit differently than other schools. McLeod called it "the perfect storm of stadiums."

Understanding the crowd's importance to college football, McLeod said he knew they had to "make sure that crowd looks amazing." Are the bands in the right place? The visitor sections? The patterns some schools have within their crowds -- think Tennessee's Checkerboard and Penn State's White Out games. The design team entered the empty virtual stadium and tagged where everything would be, a process taking multiple weeks.

There were some concessions needed to make sure the game still performed well, which is where the JMA Wireless Dome and its unique architecture helped. As the team tested everything from equipment pieces to plays, they put it in the Dome to check for performance and make sure the frame rates didn't slow down.

There were small things in stadiums which held import, too. For McLeod, a diehard Michigan State fan, it came from Arkansas State, where there is a waterfall in the stadium and when the Red Wolves score a touchdown, fountains go off.

"That was one of those things that was a stretch goal for us to get in," McLeod said. "And to see it actually manifest itself in the product. I'm so proud of the team to see that."

MASCOTS -- NOT ALL will make this year's game -- were another struggle point. One of the hardest things for the development team to create were four-legged friends like Texas' Bevo (a longhorn steer) or Colorado's Ralphie (a buffalo).

They had to develop new animation rigs different from those for players, coaches or fans because of four legs versus two.

McLeod said they created four different rigs for dogs, one for cows and one for Ralphie. Bevo was one of the first the team built because it proved they could do it.

Ralphie took the longest, about a month from start to finish, McLeod said.

"It's the actual animation," McLeod said. "It's to make sure that Ralphie runs fluidly. We call them quadrupeds, right? A human on two legs has a totally different mocap rig or animation rig than an animal on four."

Then there's leg spans and strides and weight within the movement. McLeod said they knew that when they started. Like the stadiums, McLeod said shipping a game without Ralphie and Bevo "was not acceptable to us."

While part of the team built out stadiums and mascots, another focused on game play with the same intent as everyone else -- College Football would not look or play like Madden.

So playbooks matter. Game speed matters. Jones said they had to push the boundaries of what was possible. They had to have 134 specific playbooks, received help from their access to Pro Football Focus and had conversations with those within the game to help understand what styles teams run.

There were base plays and concepts they could use, but the key was playbook individuality. They wanted players to feel like they were playing as Tennessee or Michigan.

THE MOST SURPRISING thing came not from something they created or a hurdle they faced, but rather from what happened after they announced the name, image and likeness plan for athletes. Any athlete opting into the game who ends up being used in one of the 85 roster spots per team will receive a free copy of EA Sports College Football along with $600 with the option of remaining in the game yearly as long as the player has eligibility. There are also separate NIL deals made with athletes who could serve as ambassadors or cover athletes like Michigan's Donovan Edwards , Colorado's Travis Hunter and Texas' Quinn Ewers .

I attended the cover shoot for EA Sports NCAA Football 25 at the Cotton Bowl in March. Here are @TravisHunterJr , @QuinnEwers and @DEdwards__ in the stadium tunnel during the shoot. pic.twitter.com/dlRGlTV9vP — Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) May 16, 2024

EA Sports thought they'd get 7,000 or 8,000 players the first week. Eight days in, 10,000 players had agreed to be in the game . At present, more than 13,000 players have opted in.

"We were pleasantly surprised," Jones said. "By the enthusiasm with which people were coming in."

Not all of them will end up making it into the game due to the 85-person roster limit, but it's still a large undertaking.

EA staffers created a system they call "Generic Plus," developed by the art department. It takes about two to three hours to construct a player's face in the game. EA does this by taking a reference photo of a player -- think a passport photo or team headshot -- and machine learning then creates an image of what the player looks like.

EA staffers then go in and make tweaks on what the machine missed or didn't accurately portray, from hair to eyebrows to eyes, which could take 10 to 15 minutes. McLeod said if animators had to do the entire process, it might take a day per player, which was not an option.

"It was just a brand new way," McLeod said.

Holt said the player raters for Madden have assisted with the ratings for college football players, but declined to go into specific detail.

When a player is in the game, there will be multiple uniform options. Each team will have at least a home and away jersey and, if an alternate jersey exists, at least one alternate. Some schools will have more than that and McLeod said after launch, they could end up adding more jersey options. Like everything else, uniform specifications came from a combination of school information and the research of EA's staff.

WHILE THE GAME was being created on-site, EA Sports had to get announcer tracks recorded, featuring multiple broadcast teams including one led by ESPN'S Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit. Fowler said on Instagram he taped more than 115 hours of commentary over a two-year process.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chris Fowler (@chrisfowler)

Some of the sessions were done separately. Some were done together with the broadcast crews. Almost all had someone from EA on Zoom helping the process. Fowler said on Instagram he did calls of everything from touchdowns for every team -- which took an hour to go through every team in the game -- to a team punting on second down.

Jones said there was a baseline of calls they needed from both crews and a list of situations they needed. Both sets of commentary teams had to cover the entire game.

"It was a lot of writing scripts, but then eventually what starts happening is in order to get the best performance out of them, you have to let 'em ad-lib," Jones said. "You kind of need to let them know what the situation is so that you can actually get the right amount of back-and-forth between them."

As they maneuvered through the two-year process, the commentary became more comfortable and what you'd typically see from the crews during real games. The toughest thing, Jones said, was working around the broadcaster's commitments.

In all, there are hundreds of hours of sound in the game. Different sounds will be triggered by events, Jones said, put in place by one of his team's software engineers, Rick Mancuso, to make it all flow seamlessly. Mancuso was also in charge of adding the small sounds for schools in the game, like a "Let's Go Blue" chant at Michigan.

THERE IS CLEAR excitement throughout the EA Sports College Football team. You hear it in the way they talk about the game and how they all stress the same thing: Authenticity is the foundation.

This isn't a one-off. What they build for this year they'll be able to add to and tweak in iterations to come.

They know they couldn't get everything they wanted in this version. A combination of time and capacity wouldn't allow it. There's already a list -- some from the pageantry database, some from ideas they couldn't quite reach -- of what they'd like to add in next year's game.

They also recognize this: Four years after Holt went into Weber's office and three years after announcing the game, college football is back. And here to stay.

"I would definitely put it, in terms of my 20 years with EA Sports, as one of those big achievement moments," Holt said. "In terms of saying how do we not let scale or let a problem deter, derail or stop us.

"That's the key for this team is they didn't take no for an answer."

FOX Sports Unveils Marquee 2024 NFL Regular Season Broadcast Schedule Kicking off Road to Super Bowl LIX

FOX NFL Adds New Holiday-Season Game to Unrivaled Regular Season Slate Saturday, December 21 st When the Baltimore Ravens Host the Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 1 Opens with Exclusive Doubleheader Featuring Tom Brady’s Broadcast  Debut in AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK Showdown Between the  Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns

FOX NFL Lands First Super Bowl Rematch in Network History in Week 7, When the San Francisco 49ers Host the Kansas City Chiefs in AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK  

FOX Sports Goes Marching into Network’s 11 th Super Bowl Broadcast with Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans  

LOS ANGELES – Following a celebrated 30 th season of presenting award-winning NFL coverage and entering a supercharged year that will culminate on FOX with Super Bowl LIX live from New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 , FOX Sports today announces its broadcast schedule for the 2024 NFL regular season.

FOX Sports’ highly anticipated 31 st season kicks off Sunday, Sept. 8, with an exclusive doubleheader and new lead broadcast team featuring returning FOX NFL play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt alongside seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady in his analyst debut. Burkhardt and Brady are joined by veteran reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi on the call for Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns in AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK.

For the first time in FOX Sports history, AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK will showcase a rematch of Super Bowl opponents when the San Francisco 49ers host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Last season, AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK attracted its largest audience since 2015 and ranked as the No. 1 program in all of television for the 15th straight year among Adults 18-49, per Nielsen Media Research.

FOX’s fully loaded 18-week slate across the 2024 regular season features appearances from a powerhouse lineup of NFC teams, including the Dallas Cowboys (9), San Francisco 49ers (8), Detroit Lions (8), Philadelphia Eagles (8), Green Bay Packers (8) and New York Giants (8).

Super Bowl LIX marks FOX’s  11 th broadcast of the NFL’s big game – more than any other network in the last 30 years – and arrives two years after FOX Sports’ critically acclaimed presentation of Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, where the Kansas City Chiefs topped the Philadelphia Eagles (38–35) in the game’s final moments.

Top AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK Matchups:

• Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns (Week 1)
• Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys (Week 3)
• Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (Week 6)
• Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers – Super Bowl LVIII Rematch (Week 7)
• Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (Week 9)
• San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (Week 12)
• Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (Week 17)

FOX NFL 2024 Regular Season Highlights:

• FOX NFL’s unrivaled slate of regular season games gets even bigger with a new game on Saturday, Dec. 21 , when the Baltimore Ravens take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 PM ET.
• Thanksgiving Day football and the NFL’s annual “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration” return Thursday, Nov. 28, at 4:30 PM ET on FOX and FOX Deportes when the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants. FOX Sports’ 2022 Thanksgiving Day game – its last featuring the two franchises and which saw the Cowboys beat the Giants (28-20), stands as the most-watched NFL regular season game on record with an average audience of 42.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
• FOX’s time-honored tradition of anchoring FOX NFL SUNDAY from a military installation on Veterans Day weekend continues this year on Sunday, Nov. 10. This year’s show will be hosted from Naval Base San Diego, the world’s second largest surface ship naval base, and feature the FOX NFL SUNDAY cast participating in special trainings with U.S. Navy SEALs.

Click here to view and download the 2024 FOX NFL regular season broadcast schedule.

FOX NFL STUDIO COVERAGE

FOX NFL coverage begins each Sunday at 11:00 AM ET with FOX NFL KICKOFF followed by FOX NFL SUNDAY, America’s most-watched NFL pregame show since 1994, at 12:00 PM ET.

FOX NFL SUNDAY features the only NFL pregame show desk comprised entirely of Pro Football Hall of Fame analysts. The show and its full cast were inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2019.

FOX DIGITAL

Beyond televised network games, FOX Sports offers fans the ability to stream NFL games on the FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com, where they can also consume scores, stats, standings and odds, plus a full suite of written and video content, including highlights and analysis from FOX Sports’ unparalleled roster of expert personalities.

FOX Sports also serves fans through social media, where @NFLonFOX channels reach over 10.2 million followers with custom, bespoke social content for platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. THE NFL ON FOX PODCAST, available on the FOX Sports app, YouTube, Spotify, Apple and wherever podcasts are consumed, delivers a one-of-a-kind digital experience, with new episodes dropping four days a week, melding together the iconic FOX cast of on-air talent and NFL legends.

FOX DEPORTES

FOX Deportes returns with dedicated Spanish-language NFL coverage throughout the season and is scheduled to air select games beginning with one preseason game and four regular season games including New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Oct. 20 , Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Dec. 29 .  The network’s playoff slate includes one NFC Wild Card Game, one NFC Divisional Game, the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LIX.

In accordance with the league’s flexible scheduling policy, this year’s FOX NFL broadcast schedule is subject to change.

Related Articles

Tom Brady's NFL broadcast debut as Fox analyst will be Cowboys vs. Browns in Week 1

Tom Brady's first NFL regular-season game as an analyst will feature one of the sport's most popular teams.

Brady and the Fox No. 1 announcing team will be on the call for a Dallas Cowboys contest against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8, it was announced at an event for Fox advertisers Monday as part of the NFL schedule rollout that continues through Wednesday.

The matchup is scheduled for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. The game is part of an exclusive doubleheader window for FOX; there will be no CBS game in the late-afternoon window.

From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.

"I know how important they are to this network," Brady said of the Cowboys.

He also playfully ribbed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott .

"Let’s see if he can finally come through," Brady said. "Did that just slip out?"

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , initially retired following the 2021 season but returned for another season in Tampa. Before Brady's comeback, however, FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch said the star signal-caller would join the network as the No. 1 game analyst once his playing days ended. Brady then took off the 2023 season with plans to join Kevin Burkhardt in the booth in 2024 .

Brady reiterated that his motivations for becoming a broadcaster hinged on his desire to remain close to the NFL.

"(Joining) the greatest telecast in football was ultimately what made my decision … just the tremendous team we have here made it a no-brainer for me," Brady said.

Brady’s contract with the network was reported to be $375 million over 10 years.

Brady brought out his new FOX teammates – Burkhardt and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi – who showered him with praise.

"How could you not be excited?" Burkhardt said. "You’re talking about the most clutch player in the history of the NFL I get to stand next to every single week, that’s pretty good."

Rinaldi noted the excitement players and coaches will have during production meetings with Brady present.

"We know they’re going to bring their absolute best that Sunday because TB’s in that booth," Rinaldi said.

Brady was the target of a "roast" event that aired on Netflix that aired earlier this month. The three-hour comedy event was something Brady said he regretted participating in because of the effect it had on his children. On Monday, his presentation had a much different tone as he helped FOX sell advertisements.

As a player, Brady was 7-0 against the Cowboys until they defeated him in the final game of his career, a wild-card contest in January 2023.

FOX has the broadcast for Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans – Brady's final assignment of his first season as an announcer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Brady's NFL broadcast debut as Fox analyst will be Cowboys vs. Browns in Week 1

Rebecca Lowe, Mike Tirico, Craig Melvin among NBC Olympics daytime hosts for Paris Games

The majority of Olympic viewers, even in an age of cord-cutting and cord-nevers, will experience the Olympics through NBC’s main network, so the people presenting the Games for NBC have a significant role in how much viewers enjoy the broadcast. On Wednesday, NBCUniversal will announce its daytime hosts for NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Games. The group includes Rebecca Lowe, Craig Melvin, Ahmed Fareed, Damon Hack and Mike Tirico pulling double duty along with his prime-time hosting duties.

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Recent Olympic cycles have struggled with viewership but the Paris Olympics represents a significant opportunity for a rebound given the alluring locale, the return of crowds and the time zone. Paris is six hours ahead of New York and nine ahead of Los Angeles. The competition day will start for U.S. fans each day around 3 a.m. ET and conclude at about 6 p.m. ET. Given that timeframe, Lowe and Melvin will host daily coverage in Paris on NBC from the morning until the mid-afternoon. They will be followed by Tirico, who will anchor the mid-afternoon in addition to his prime-time work. This will be Lowe’s sixth consecutive NBC Olympics daytime host assignment, dating back to the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

“Every Games has been different purely because of the time zone,” Lowe said this week. “For example in PyeongChang and Tokyo, for us to be live on the NBC daytime show we were working the overnight shift. That not only meant a challenge in itself personally but also we didn’t have live sports to bring the audience.

“This coming Olympics, like the one in Rio 2016, we will have the best of both worlds. We’ll be live during daylight hours in France while live sport is happening. That brings an extra energy and dynamic to the show as you get to react to stories as they happen in the moment.”

Melvin will make his daytime hosting debut, though he previously served as NBC’s on-site prime-time and Prime Plus host during the 2022 Beijing Olympics and was a reporter for the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. Fareed, who is making his Olympic hosting debut for NBC, will host the late afternoon and co-host with Lowe on select days when Melvin is on assignment for NBC News. Hack will host daily late afternoon coverage for NBC West Coast stations. He previously hosted coverage of the Tokyo Olympics on NBCSN and is a longtime Golf Channel announcer.

The company will also announce that Cara Banks, Laura Britt, Trenni Casey, Lindsay Czarniak, Carolyn Manno and Kathryn Tappen will serve as Olympic hosts on USA Network, CNBC and E!.

NBC will feature at least nine hours of daytime Olympic coverage from Paris including live finals coverage of swimming, gymnastics and track & field. The network said programming on NBC will air from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. ET and PT, and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT and MT every weekday, with the noon-6 p.m. ET window live across the country. On weekends, NBC programming expands, beginning as early as 5 a.m. ET, with extended hours live across the country. Paris 2024 will have more programming hours on the NBC broadcast network than any previous Olympics. All NBC coverage will also be streamed on Peacock.

The opening ceremony is July 26.

“Perhaps it’s because we’ve had two Games without fans but this one feels big,” Lowe said. “Cities like Paris do great global events with ease. I have no qualms about anything other than whether my French from school will still be up to scratch.”

(Photo of Mike Tirico: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

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Richard Deitsch is a media reporter for The Athletic. He previously worked for 20 years for Sports Illustrated, where he covered seven Olympic Games, multiple NCAA championships and U.S. Open tennis. Richard also hosts a weekly sports media podcast. Follow Richard on Twitter @ richarddeitsch