In this transition year for college football, ESPN transitions its announcing teams for the 2014 season. For the new College Football Playoff, ESPN has shuffled its announcers for a sport it does quite well. Brent Musburger will no longer be on the “A” team as he has been sent to the new SEC Network where he will call games with Jesse Palmer and sideline reporter Maria Taylor.
College GameDay host Chris Fowler joins his analyst Kirk Herbstreit in the booth for Saturday Night Football on ABC this season. Heather Cox remains as the sideline reporter for this team.
The ESPN Primetime team of Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe remains intact.
However, the ESPN/ESPN2 primetime team gets a new analyst. Joe Tessitore who worked with Matt Millen for the past two seasons will have Brock Huard as a partner. Joe Tess will also host SEC Nation on SEC Network with Tim Tebow on Saturday mornings so he’ll be pulling double duty like Fowler and Herbstreit.
Charlatan Todd McShay becomes a sideline reporter for the ESPN/ESPN2/ABC Saturday afternoon team of Sean McDonough and Chris Spielman.
Matt Millen joins Bob Wischusen as a new team for ESPN/ESPN2/ABC and they’ll be joined by Quint Kessenich.
For ESPN’s Friday night games, Carter Blackburn who called the games for the past couple of seasons will not be in the booth as he has left for another network. Calling the games will be one of the radio voices of the San Francisco Giants, Dave Flemming and he’ll be joined by Danny Kanell and Allison Williams.
Here’s the ESPN announcement for its teams for this season.
College Football: ESPN’s Game and Studio Roster includes more than 100 On-Air Commentators
Chris Fowler Joins Saturday Night Football with returning Kirk Herbstreit & Heather Cox
SEC Network Lineup includes Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer & Maria Taylor as Lead Game Team
Mack Brown & Butch Davis Join ESPN
Todd McShay Moves to Sideline Analyst Role
New Play-by-Play Partners for Rod Gilmore, Danny Kanell, Matt Millen, Brock Huard & John CongemiESPN’s 2014 college football game and studio coverage will include more than 100 on-air hosts, play-by-play announcers, analysts and reporters appearing across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, Longhorn Network, ESPN Radio and ESPN Goal Line. The lineup is highlighted by announcers with familiar and new assignments, the addition of former coaches Mack Brown and Butch Davis, and nationally recognized former SEC players and renowned sportscasters on SEC Network.
ESPN’s roster of experienced, knowledgeable and accomplished announcers includes multiple analysts who have won several of the most prestigious honors in football:
- Six members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Mike Bellotti, Lou Holtz, Desmond Howard, Mark May, Chris Spielman and Andre Ware;
- Ten National Championships: Todd Blackledge (Penn State in 1982), Mack Brown (as head coach of Texas in 2005), 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), Trevor Matich (BYU in 1984), Greg McElroy (Alabama in 2009), Marcus Spears (LSU in 2003) and Tim Tebow (Florida in 2006 and 2008);
- Three Heisman Trophies: Desmond Howard (1991), Tim Tebow (2007) and Andre Ware (1989);
- Ten All-Americans: Kevin Carter (1994), Desmond Howard (1991), Mark May (1980), Matt Millen (1978), David Pollack (2002, 2003 & 2004), Marcus Spears (2004), Chris Spielman (1986 & 1987), Matt Stinchcomb (1997 & 1998), Tim Tebow (2007 & 2008) and Andre Ware (1989);
- Eight Recipients of Top Player Awards: Todd Blackledge (Davey O’Brien, 1982), Desmond Howard (Maxwell Award & Walter Camp, 1991), Mark May (Outland Trophy, 1980), David Pollack (Chuck Bednarik Award & Lombardi Award, 2004), Chris Spielman (Lombardi Award, 1987), Matt Stinchcomb (William V. Campbell Trophy, 1998), Tim Tebow (Dave O’Brien, 2007 and Maxwell Award, 2007 and 2008) and Andre Ware (Davey O’Brien, 1989);
- Seven Super Bowls: Kevin Carter, David Diaz-Infante (two-time), Brian Griese, Desmond Howard (also a Super Bowl MVP), Mark May (two-time), Booger McFarland (two-time) and Matt Millen (four-time).
Many of the commentator assignments include new pairings, highlighted by:
- Chris Fowler, who called ESPN’s Thursday night college football series from 2006 to 2009, will join returning analyst Kirk Herbstreit and reporter Heather Cox on the weekly Saturday Night Football series on ABC. He will continue to host College GameDay with analysts Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and David Pollack, and contributors Samantha Ponder, Tom Rinaldi, Scott Van Pelt and Gene Wojciechowski.
- Sports broadcasting legend Brent Musburger, analyst Jesse Palmer and reporter Maria Taylor will be the lead game announcer for SEC Network telecasts. Palmer will also continue to work on ESPN’s Thursday night series with Rece Davis, Pollack and Ponder.
- Former coaches Mack Brown and Butch Davis have joined ESPN as studio analysts. Brown will work on ABC with host John Saunders and analyst Danny Kanell, who will continue to work a Friday night game on ESPN or ESPN2, while Davis will be on ESPN2 with host Adnan Virk and analyst Robert Smith.
- Todd McShay, an ESPN college football and NFL Draft analyst, will join Sean McDonough and analyst Chris Spielman as a sideline analyst on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Saturday game telecasts.
- Several of the Saturday game assignments will include new commentator and analyst pairings:
- Joe Tessitore, who will host the SEC Network’s SEC Nation from an SEC campus every Saturday (10 a.m. to noon), will return to call a weekly night game on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC with analyst Brock Huard and reporter Shannon Spake. He will work SEC Nation with Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears, Paul Finebaum and Kaylee Hartung.
- Two new teams for ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC telecasts include Mark Jones, analyst Rod Gilmore and reporter Jessica Mendoza, and Bob Wischusen, analyst Matt Millen and reporter Quint Kessenich. ESPNU will also introduce two new teams: Adam Amin with analyst John Congemi, and Clay Matvick with analyst Anthony Becht.
- Announcer Tom Hart and analyst Matt Stinchcomb will pair up to work a weekly SEC Network game.
- Dave Flemming, who has called select college football games across ESPN networks in previous years, will work Friday night games on ESPN and ESPN2 with Kanell and reporter Allison Williams.
- Analyst Mike Bellotti, a member of the 2014 College Football Hall of Fame class, will work select Friday night games with Mark Neely and appear across multiple studio programs on ESPNU.
ESPN The Magazine College Football Preview Issue
ESPN The Magazine’s college football preview issue – available on newsstands beginning Friday, Aug. 8 – will feature a wide variety of a college football topics. Content includes: a look at the parts of the sport that will be missed – and those not missed – with the new playoff and what the future holds; a dissection of the top 25 teams; a college football confidential on the biggest topics of the season according to 95 players; a not-so-serious look at the various schools playoff committee members are connected to and how those ties could influence their votes; a photo gallery of the offices of multiple head coaches, including Steve Spurrier, Bob Stoops, Mark D’Antonio, Brian Kelly and more; an exploration of an increasing phenomenon of quarterbacks joining the celebrity ranks told through Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, this season’s leading candidate for instant stardom; a look at Texas’ first-year head coach Charlie Strong and how he will handle the scrutiny that comes with following a successful coach at a school with high expectations for success; and more.
ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network and ESPN Radio Game Announcer Pairings
Note: Additional commentators will contribute throughout the season.Saturdays
Game Telecast Play-by-play Analyst Reporter Saturday Night Football Chris Fowler Kirk Herbstreit Heather Cox ESPN College Football Primetime Brad Nessler Todd Blackledge Holly Rowe ESPN or ESPN2 Prime Time Joe Tessitore Brock Huard Shannon Spake ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC Mark Jones Rod Gilmore Jessica Mendoza ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC Sean McDonough Chris Spielman Todd McShay ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC Dave Pasch Brian Griese Tom Luginbill ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC Beth Mowins Joey Galloway Paul Carcaterra ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC Mike Patrick Ed Cunningham Jeannine Edwards ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC Bob Wischusen Matt Millen Quint Kessenich ESPNU Anish Shroff Kelly Stouffer Cara Capuano ESPNU Adam Amin John Congemi ESPNU Clay Matvick Anthony Becht ESPNEWS Eamon McAnaney Dan Hawkins ESPNEWS Mike Couzens Rene Ingoglia ESPN Radio Bill Rosinski David Norrie Joe Schad Weekdays
Game Telecast Play-by-play Analyst Reporter ESPN College Football Primetime (Thursday) Rece Davis Jesse Palmer & David Pollack Samantha Ponder ESPN or ESPN2 Friday Dave Flemming Danny Kanell Allison Williams ESPN or ESPN2 Tuesday or Wednesday Dave Lamont Desmond Howard ESPNU Thursday (HBCU) Mark Neely Jay Walker SEC Network
Game Telecast Play-by-play Analyst Reporter SEC Network Brent Musburger Jesse Palmer Maria Taylor SEC Network Dave Neal Andre Ware Laura Rutledge SEC Network Tom Hart Matt Stinchcomb Heather Mitts ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network Studio Assignments
Show Host Analyst Contributor College GameDay <(Saturdays: 9 a.m. to noon on ESPN) Chris Fowler Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard & David Pollack Samantha Ponder, Tom Rinaldi, Scott Van Pelt & Gene Wojciechowski SEC Nation (Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon on SEC Network) Joe Tessitore Marcus Spears & Tim Tebow Paul Finebaum & Kaylee Hartung Pre-game, halftime and post-game, College Football Countdown (Saturdays on ABC) John Saunders Mack Brown & Danny Kanell Pre-game, halftime and post-game, College Football Final (Saturdays on ESPN) Rece Davis Lou Holtz & Mark May Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Thursdays on ESPN) Scott Van Pelt Brian Griese & Mark May Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Saturdays on ESPN2) Adnan Virk Butch Davis &Robert Smith Pre-game, halftime and post-game (Saturdays on ESPNU) Matt Schick Kevin Carter, Jason Sehorn & Charles Arbuckle Pre-game, halftime and post-game, SEC Scoreboard (Saturdays on SEC Network) Dari Nowkhah Greg McElroy & Booger McFarland College GameDay on ESPN Radio (Saturdays at noon) Matt Barrie Trevor Matich & Brad Edwards The 2014 college football season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, Longhorn Network, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN GamePlan will total more than 450 regular-and post-season games, concluding with the first-ever College Football Playoff. The schedule will include multiple games across the networks every Saturday and weekly ESPN and ESPNU Thursday night contests and telecasts every Friday.
That will do it.
