ESPN’s College Football Announcer Assignments

We have a whole slew of college football announcing teams on ESPN thanks to its various platforms. A couple of items of note. Beth Mowins will call games becoming the second woman to call college football for ESPN joining Pam Ward. Ron Franklin who had announced his retirement earlier this year citing frustration with ESPN, returns to call Saturday afternoon games with regular partner, Ed Cunningham. That’s good news.

Previously announced, Erin Andrews becomes a co-host of College Gameday for the first hour which will air at 9 a.m. Eastern on ESPNU.

I can write more, but this is a very long press release so let that speak for itself.

ESPN College Football Commentator Assignments

New elements: Tim Brown joins as ESPN 3D analyst; Herm Edwards on ESPNU primetime; Rece Davis adds Thursday night game; Bob Wischusen and Brian Griese on ESPN2 noon; Mike Bellotti to work West Coast ESPN and ABC telecasts; Erin Andrews on College GameDay; Danny Kanell joins as ESPNU analyst

Returning: Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit on ABC Saturday Night Football; Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge on ESPN Saturday in prime time

ESPN’s 2010 college football coverage will feature a deep lineup of knowledgeable and experienced game and studio commentators in familiar and new roles, including the addition of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown as an analyst for ESPN 3D games. ESPN 3D, ESPN’s newest outlet and the first 3D network to launch in the industry, will televise 13 college football games in 2010, concluding with the BCS National Championship. 

Every ESPN 3D game will originate from a game on an ESPN network but utilize a separate production and commentator crew.

Brown – a former Notre Dame wide receiver and 16-year NFL veteran — will also provide studio analysis on College Football Live, ESPNEWS, SportsCenter, various ESPN Radio programs and additional ESPN platforms. Brown will work ESPN 3D games with play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore and Ray Bentley, who will provide analysis and reports from the field.

The assignments of returning commentator pairings are highlighted by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit calling the Saturday Night Football  series on ABC, broadcast television’s only weekly primetime game (8 p.m. ET), for their fifth consecutive year.

The roster of analysts includes winners of several of the most prestigious honors in football:

• Seven members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Tim Brown, Bob Griese, Lou Holtz, Desmond Howard who will be enshrined in 2011, Mark May, Chris Spielman and Andre Ware;
• Six National Championship winners: Todd Blackledge (1982 with Penn State); Ed Cunningham (Washington in 1991), Brian Griese (Michigan in 1997), Lou Holtz (as head coach of Notre Dame in 1988), Danny Kanell (Florida State in 1993) and Trevor Matich (BYU in 1984);
• Three Heisman trophy winners: Tim Brown (1987), Desmond Howard (1991) and Andre Ware (1989);
• Six Super Bowl winners: David Diaz-Infante (two-time), Bob Griese (two-time), Brian Griese, Desmond Howard (also a Super Bowl MVP), Mark May (two-time) and Matt Millen (four-time).

Highlights of new assignments:

• Rece Davis, who will continue to anchor ESPN’s Saturday studio coverage with analysts Lou Holtz and Mark May, will add play-by-play duties for ESPN’s popular weekly Thursday night ESPN College Football Primetime game series with returning analysts Craig James and Jesse Palmer. Jenn Brown will join the Thursday team as the sideline reporter.
• Analyst Brian Griese and commentator Bob Wischusen will work the ESPN2 Saturday noon telecast. Last year, Griese and Wischusen called various games across the ESPN networks.
• Analyst Herm Edwards, who regularly works as an analyst on ESPN’s NFL coverage, will join Clay Matvick on ESPNU’s Saturday prime-time game.
• Erin Andrews will join an expanded three-hour College GameDay, anchoring several segments of the new first hour on ESPNU beginning at 9 a.m. and contributing reports, interviews and features during the ESPN portion of the show. Chris Fowler will return as show host with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. As part of her role, Andrews will work as the sideline reporter on the game from which College GameDay originates, if the game is on an ESPN network (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc.).
• In addition to Andrews, reporters Holly Rowe, Heather Cox, Jeannine Edwards and Quint Kessenich will return to work the sidelines with specific game assignments to be determined weekly.
• Former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti and former Washington quarterback Brock Huard will team up with commentator Carter Blackburn to work ESPN and ABC Saturday games primarily featuring West Coast sites.
• Veteran ESPN play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins will call ESPN and ESPN2 midweek games with analysts David Norrie or Robert Smith.
• Former Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell will join ESPN as an analyst on the ESPNU afternoon game with announcer Pam Ward, who worked ESPN2’s Saturday noon telecast last year. Kanell will also serve as a studio analyst on College Football Live, SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and more.
• In addition to select midweek games, David Norrie will work the weekly ESPN Radio game broadcast with returning play-by-play announcer Bill Rosinski and reporter Joe Schad.
• Rob Stone will move from the studio to call play-by-play on the ESPNU noon telecast with former Georgia standout David Pollack, who also worked in the studio last year.

As part of ESPN’s year-round commitment to college sports and the Bowl Championship Series, Fowler — adding to his extensive duties with ESPN — will host College Football Live and contribute college football content to SportsCenter during the season. John Saunders, who will continue to anchor Saturday pregame, halftime and postgame studio segments on ABC with analyst Palmer, will also host College Football Live and studio coverage around game telecasts every Thursday and Friday on ESPN and ESPN2. Wendi Nix will return to anchor ESPN2’s Saturday day-long studio coverage with analysts Todd McShay and Robert Smith.  

Game commentators returning for their second season together include:

• Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge working the ESPN Saturday primetime telecast.
• Matt Millen and Sean McDonough calling Saturday telecasts on ABC.
• Analysts Bob Griese and Chris Spielman working the Saturday noon telecast on ESPN with Dave Pasch.
• Veteran announcer Mike Patrick working Saturday afternoon games on ABC with analyst James.
• Dave Neal will call ESPN Regional Television’s Saturday SEC over-the-air syndication games with analyst Andre Ware and reporter Cara Capuano.

Additional returning announcer pairings to television’s deepest field of commentators include: Mark Jones and Bob Davie; Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham; and Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore.

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN 3D and ESPN Regional Television Game Pairings

Note: Additional commentators will contribute throughout the season 

Game Telecast	Play-by-play	Analyst	Reporter
Saturday Night Football (on ABC)	Brent Musburger	Kirk Herbstreit	*
ESPN College Football Primetime (Saturday)	Brad Nessler	Todd Blackledge	*
ESPN2 College Football Primetime (Saturday)	Mark Jones	Bob Davie	**
ESPNU SEC Saturday Prime Time	Clay Matvick	Herm Edwards
ESPN College Football Primetime (Thursday)	Rece Davis	Craig James and Jesse Palmer	Jenn Brown
ABC Saturday Afternoon	Sean McDonough	Matt Millen	*
ABC Saturday Afternoon	Mike Patrick	Craig James	*
ABC or ESPN Saturday Afternoon	Ron Franklin	Ed Cunningham	**
ESPN College Football (Saturday afternoons)	Dave Pasch	Bob Griese and Chris Spielman	**
ESPN2 College Football (Saturday afternoon)	Bob Wischusen	Brian Griese	**
ESPNU Saturday noon	Rob Stone	David Pollack
ESPNU Saturday afternoon	Pam Ward	Danny Kanell
ESPNU late Saturday (WAC)	Todd Harris	David Diaz-Infante
ESPNU late Saturday (HBCU)	Todd Harris	Eddie Robinson or Jay Walker
ESPN and ABC Saturdays (West Coast games)	Carter Blackburn	Brock Huard and Mike Bellotti	**
ESPN and ESPN2 midweek games	Beth Mowins	David Norrie and Robert Smith
ESPN and ESPN2 Friday games	Joe Tessitore	Rod Gilmore	**
ESPNU Thursday	Anish Shroff	Jay Walker or Eddie Robinson
ESPN 3D	Joe Tessitore	Tim Brown	Ray Bentley
ESPN Radio games	Bill Rosinski	David Norrie	Joe Schad
SEC Network (ESPN Regional Television syndicated games)	Dave Neal	Andre Ware	Cara Capuano
BIG EAST Network (ESPN Regional Television syndicated games)	Mike Gleason	John Congemi	Eamon McAnaney
ESPN Regional Television MAC Syndication	Michael Reghi	Doug Chapman

* Reporter to be determined weekly between Erin Andrews, Holly Rowe and Heather Cox
** Reporter to be determined weekly between Jeannine Edwards and Quint Kessenich

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Regional Television Studio Assignments

Show	Host	Analyst
College GameDay  (Saturdays: 9-10 a.m. on ESPNU; 10 a.m.-noon on ESPN)	Chris Fowler/Erin Andrews (9 a.m.)	Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard
Pre-game, halftime and post-game, College Football Countdown (Saturdays on ABC)	John Saunders	Jesse Palmer
ABC Saturday reports	Robert Flores
Pre-game, halftime and post-game, College Football Final (Saturdays on ESPN)	Rece Davis	Lou Holtz and Mark May
Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Saturdays on ESPN2)	Wendi Nix	Todd McShay and Robert Smith
Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Saturdays on ESPNU)	Lowell Galindo (prime time) and Dari Nowkah (afternoon)	Tom Luginbill and Matt Stinchcomb
College GameDay on ESPN Radio (Saturdays at noon)	Ryen Russillo	Trevor Matich and Brad Edwards
ESPNEWS Overdrive	Ryan Burr	Jon Ritchie
Inside the Polls (ESPNU)	Lowell Galindo	Tom Luginbill and Mike Bellotti
SEC syndication studio	Dari Nowkhah	Matt Stinchcomb
SEC Weekly (ESPNU)	Cara Capuano	Matt Stinchcomb and David Pollack
Big 12 This Week (ESPNU)	Melissa Knowles	Jon Berger

The 2010 college football season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN 3D, ESPN Classic, ESPN3.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Regional Television and ESPN GamePlan will total more than 400 regular-and post-season games, concluding with the entire Bowl Championship Series, including the National Championship, on ESPN for the first time. The schedule will include weekly Saturday night games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, weekly ESPN and ESPNU Thursday night contests and telecasts every Friday and select Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

I told you this was long.