Announced today by ESPN, Brent Musburger who has been the full-time lead college football announcer since 2006, will move to the SEC Network to be the lead play-by-play man there. He’ll be teamed with Jesse Palmer on football games.
It’s not a precipitous fall, but certainly not the move Musburger had to be expecting especially with little to no slippage on his calls. In addition, at age 74, he remains popular among fans with his gambling references and spotting attractive women in the stands (note Jenn Sterger and later Katherine Webb).
From 2006 through 2014, he called the BCS Championship Game and was teamed mostly with Kirk Herbstreit during the period.
Among his partners at ESPN/ABC, Dick Vermeil, Gary Danielson and Herbstreit. He goes from calling the “A” game in primetime to calling what could be the “C” or “D” game on SEC Network as CBS and ESPN get first picks of games in the Southeastern Conference.
And while the press release celebrates the move and Musburger’s career, it has to be tough pill to swallow for Brent who is used to being in the forefront of the major events whether it be at CBS or ESPN/ABC.
Expected to move into Musburger’s place as lead college football will be Chris Fowler who has been patiently waiting and continued to host College Gameday for two and a half decades.
Brent will continue to call Big 12 college basketball.
ESPN’s Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer Signed as Lead SEC Network Announce Team
Sports broadcasting legend Brent Musburger will be joined by college football analyst Jesse Palmer in the booth every Saturday on the SEC Network when it launches next fall. The Hall of Fame sportscaster and the former Florida quarterback have each reached an agreement with ESPN to be the lead college football game commentators on the new network. The pair will kick off the season with Texas A&M at South Carolina on the SEC Network Thursday, Aug. 28.
“Brent Musburger is a cultural icon who has been guiding fans through many of sport’s most spectacular moments for decades,” said John Wildhack, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Production. “His big-game performance and unmistakable style will elevate our football coverage on the SEC Network. Serving as the definitive play-by-play voice for this major network launch represents an exciting new chapter in his legendary career and reinforces our commitment and investment in the SEC Network.”
Wildhack continued, “Jesse Palmer has quickly established himself as one of college football’s most insightful, entertaining and dedicated analysts. As a former SEC quarterback, he brings the perfect combination of playing experience and deep conference knowledge to the SEC Network. Partnering him with Brent on this new national platform will create a memorable booth for college football fans everywhere.”
Musburger is one of the most recognized voices in the history of sports television and he will continue to be a staple of ESPN’s sports coverage with a multi-year contract extension. In addition to lending his voice to one of the three football games slated for the network each Saturday, Brent will remain a play-by-play announcer for Big 12 college basketball games across ESPN networks. He and Palmer will call multiple college football bowl games on ESPN as well.
Musburger will make appearances on behalf of SEC Network and, after more than 20 years at ESPN and ABC, his role will continue to include sharing his expertise and experiences as a mentor.
“I’m delighted to be staying with ESPN, thrilled to be able to call the best football conference in the nation every week and am really looking forward to working with Jesse, who I covered while he was at Florida,” said Musburger. “Jesse has tremendous football knowledge, knows this league very well and does his homework. He has a tremendous future in this business.”
Musburger’s new booth partner, Palmer, has also reached a new agreement with ESPN that includes the role. In addition to calling Saturday games for the conference with the most BCS Champions, he will continue as an analyst on ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football package. Palmer’s expertise will also be featured in ESPN’s extensive post-season coverage.
“I am honored and humbled at the rare opportunity to help launch a national network of this magnitude and to do so alongside, Brent, a legend within the sport and the industry” said Palmer. “”Playing in the SEC represented four of the greatest years of my life and I feel incredibly fortunate to now have the opportunity to cover this great conference. Year after year, their on-field success continues the conference’s standard of excellence and their passionate fan base is second to none.”
Musburger and Palmer join a growing roster of nationally recognized on-air commentators for the SEC Network that include Joe Tessitore, Tim Tebow and Paul Finebaum. Additional ESPN and SEC Network college football announcements will be made at a later date.
“The pairing of Brent and Jesse as our lead team speaks to the caliber of talent we will have on the network and the commitment to quality that we are making,” said Stephanie Druley, ESPN Vice President, Production, College Networks. “We are establishing an incredible roster that SEC fans and followers expect and deserve.”
That’s all.
