Can you imagine 44 games in a span of five days? That’s right, 44 games in five days spanning ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com. It begins with a Thursday night doubleheader on ESPNU and one game on ESPN, then the floodgates open on Saturday as ESPN’s family of networks will have 28 contests.
College GameDay will be live from Arlington, TX for the Cowboys Classic that will air Saturday night on ABC.
The 2011-12 season will mark two new things for ESPN. One, the new contract with the ACC giving SPN the rights to every conference football game. And two, its contract to air BYU games as the school went independent in college football for this season.
Here’s the ESPN announcement.
2011 College Football Season Kicks off Thursday
First Week of Season Includes 44 Games in Five Days, College GameDay from Arlington
ESPN will kick off the 2011 college football season with 44 games in five days across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com as part of the fourth annual Kickoff Week Sept. 1-5. The season will conclude with all five post-season Bowl Championship Series bowls, highlighted by the BCS National Championship Jan. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN 3D and ESPN Radio.
Schedule highlights
- The season will kick off with 11 games Thursday, Sept. 1, including an ESPNU doubleheader: Murray State at Louisville at 6 p.m. followed by Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky from Nashville at 9:15 p.m.
- ESPN3.com will offer exclusive coverage of 13 games and 37 games overall.
- First weekend will include two Saturday night telecasts pitting teams from the Associated Press top 25 preseason rankings against each other:
- No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (in Cowboys Classic from Arlington) Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. on ABC
- No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 19 Georgia (in Kickoff Game from Atlanta) Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
- Overall, the weekend will kick off with 16 teams from the preseason poll. Additional teams include:
- No. 2 Alabama against Kent State Saturday, Sept. 3 at noon on ESPN3.com
- No. 6 Florida State against Louisiana-Monroe Saturday, Sept. 3, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU
- No. 11 Wisconsin against UNLV Thursday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3.com and ESPN 3D.
- No. 12 South Carolina against East Carolina Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.com
- No. 13 Virginia Tech against Appalachian State Saturday, Sept. 3, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN3.com
- No. 14 TCU at Baylor Friday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
- No. 15 Arkansas against Missouri State Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.com
- No. 18 Ohio State against Akron Saturday, Sept. 3, at noon on ESPN and ESPN3.com
- No. 22 Florida against Florida Atlantic Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on ESPNU
- No. 23 Auburn against Utah State Saturday, Sept. 3, at noon on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
- No. 24 West Virginia against Marshall Sunday, Sept. 4, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3.com
- No. 25 USC against Minnesota Saturday, Sept. 3, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
- A Labor Day telecast Monday, Sept. 5 will feature an ACC showdown and debut of two new head coaches: Miami with Al Golden at Maryland, led by Randy Edsall, at 8 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN 3D and ESPN Radio.
New elements
- ACC: The first year of a 12-year agreement with the Atlantic Coast Conference providing ESPN extensive rights to games for Saturday, Thursday and Labor Day telecasts across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com.
- BYU: The first year of an eight-year agreement for exclusive rights to BYU home football games across multiple ESPN platforms. ESPN will televise the first game as an independent against Ole Miss Saturday, Sept. 3, at 4:45 p.m.
Goal Line and WatchESPN
- Second year of ESPN Goal Line – currently available to Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV customers – will include unlimited live cut-ins and highlights from numerous games every Saturday beginning at noon.
- Viewers can also watch live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3.com and ESPN Goal Line game action on smart phones or tablets through the WatchESPN app. The service – available to customers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV – gives fans the ability to watch ESPN’s live networks, no matter where they are.
College GameDay
- College GameDay – Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on ESPNU and 10 a.m. to noon on ESPN – will open the season Sept. 3 from Arlington, Texas, site of the Cowboys Classic pitting No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (8 p.m. on ABC).
- Chris Fowler will return as show host with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. Erin Andrews will anchor several segments of the first hour on ESPNU and contribute reports, interviews and features during the ESPN portion. David Pollack joins as a contributor.
- The three-time Emmy Award-winning program is entering its 25th season and 19th consecutive year of originating from the site of one of the day’s best games or a game with the most compelling storyline.
2011 Season
The 2011 college football season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN 3D, 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 BCS National Championship, on ESPN. 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.
ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3.com, ESPN 3D, Longhorn Network and ESPN Radio Schedule
Note: All ABC split national, ESPN and ESPN2 games will be simulcast on ESPN3.com
Date Time (ET) Game Network Thu, Sep 1 6 p.m. Murray State at Louisville
Rob Stone, Danny Kanell & Allison WilliamsESPNU 7 p.m. North Texas at Florida International
Kevin Corke & Doug GraberESPN3.com 7 p.m. Villanova at Temple
Scott Graham & Chuck CecilESPN3.com 7 p.m. Western Illinois at Sam Houston State
TBDESPN3.com 7:30 p.m. Western Carolina at Georgia Tech
Ryan Rose & Warrick DunnESPN3.com 7:30 p.m. Fordham at Connecticut
Bob Picozzi & Christian FauriaESPN3.com 7:30 p.m. North Carolina Central at Rutgers
Dave Popkin & Rob HarleyESPN3.com 7:30 p.m. West Alabama at South Alabama
TBDESPN3.com 8 p.m. UNLV at No. 11 Wisconsin
Rece Davis, Craig James, Jesse Palmer & Jenn BrownESPN 3D: Dave Lamont, Tim Brown & David Diaz-InfanteESPN / ESPN3.com / ESPN 3D 8 p.m. Wake Forest at Syracuse
Dave Weekley & John BuntingESPN3.com 9 p.m. Bowling Green at Idaho
TBDESPN3.com 9:15 p.m. Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (from Nashville)
Dave Neal, Andre Ware & Cara CapuanoESPNU Fri, Sep 2 8 p.m. No. 14 TCU at Baylor
Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Samantha SteeleESPN / ESPN3.com Sat, Sep 3 Noon Akron at No. 18 Ohio State
Dave Pasch, Urban Meyer, Chris Spielman & Quint KessenichESPN / ESPN3.com Noon Utah State at No. 23 Auburn
Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti & Ivan MaiselESPN2 / ESPN3.com Noon Northwestern at Boston College
Rob Stone & Danny KanellESPNU Noon Kent State at No. 2 Alabama
TBDESPN3.com 12:30 p.m. Appalachian State at No. 13 Virginia Tech
Steve Martin, Dave Archer & Mike HodgewoodESPN3.com 3:30 p.m. Minnesota at No. 25 USC
Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard & Shelley SmithABC and ESPN2 * / ESPN3.com Western Michigan at Michigan
Mike Patrick, Craig James & Jeannine EdwardsABC and ESPN2 * / ESPN3.com 3:30 p.m. Louisiana Monroe at No. 6 Florida State
Pam Ward & Dan HawkinsESPNU 3:30 p.m. Troy at Clemson
Joe Davis & Warrick DunnESPN3.com 3:30 p.m. James Madison at North Carolina
TBDESPN3.com 4:45 p.m. BYU at Mississippi
Bob Wischusen, Bob Davie & Jessica MendozaESPN / ESPN3.com 6 p.m. Buffalo at Pittsburgh
John Sanders & John BuntingESPN3.com 6 p.m. Liberty at North Carolina State
Darren Goldwater & Rene IngogliaESPN3.com 6 p.m. William & Mary at Virginia
Dave Weekley & John GregoryESPN3.com 6 p.m. Montana at Tennessee
TBDESPN3.com 7 p.m. Richmond at Duke
Neil Solondz & Jay TaylorESPN3.com 7 p.m. Army at Northern Illinois
Shawn Kenney & Bob ChemeilESPN3.com 7 p.m. Indiana at Ball State
Jim Barbar & Adam ArchulettaESPN3.com 7 p.m. Florida Atlantic at No. 22 Florida
Clay Matvick, Brian Griese & Allison WilliamsESPNU 7 p.m. East Carolina at No. 12 South Carolina
TBDESPN3.com 7 p.m. Missouri State at No. 15 Arkansas
TBDESPN3.com 7 p.m. Austin Peay at Cincinnati
TBDESPN3.com 7:30 p.m. Elon at Vanderbilt
TBDESPN3.com 8 p.m. Cowboys Classic: No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU (from Arlington)
Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit
& Erin AndrewsABC / ESPN Radio 8 p.m. Kickoff Game: No. 5 Boise State vs. No. 19 Georgia (from Atlanta)
Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly RoweESPN / ESPN3.com 8 p.m. Ohio at New Mexico State
TBDESPN3.com 10:15 p.m. Colorado at Hawaii
Dave Lamont & David Diaz-InfanteESPN2 / ESPN3.com 10:30 p.m. Grambling State at Alcorn State
Adam Amin & Jay WalkerESPNU ** / ESPN3.com (at 7 p.m.) Sun, Sep 4 Noon MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Prairie View A&M vs. Bethune Cookman (from Orlando)
Morgan & Jay WalkerESPNU / ESPN3.com 3:30 p.m. Marshall at No. 24 West Virginia
Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Quint KessenichESPN / ESPN3.com Mon, Sep 5 8 p.m. Miami at Maryland
ESPN: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Heather Cox
ESPN 3D: Joe Tessitore, Tim Brown & Ray Bentley
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe SchadESPN / ESPN3.com / ESPN Radio / ESPN 3D * Part of reverse mirror in which ABC’s split national telecast is televised regionally on ESPN or ESPN2 and ESPN3.com to markets receiving another game on ABC
** Same day delay
And that will do it.
