One of the most shocking moves in the broadcasting world this college football season was made by Chris Fallica. “The Bear” announced he was leaving ESPN after 27 years. Next season, he will be part of FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.
Ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Fallica was a guest on The Steakhouse on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta on Monday. Host Steak Shapiro asked him if he was surprised by the emotional tribute his College GameDay co-horts gave him on his final show.
“Yeah, I was,” Fallica said. “It was pretty much how I felt as well. Anytime you’re with a group of people on a show for 27 years, as I was, it is your family.”
Chris Fallica noted that it was not an easy decision to leave a group you have so much history with. In his time with ESPN, Fallica rose from being a production assistant to essentially becoming Kirk Herbstreit’s right-hand man.
“You’re worried what some of the reaction is gonna be. You truly find out if these people are truly your friends or if they’re like ‘Why are you doing this? You’re part of the show!’ I learned indeed that these people are my friends because they were truly happy for me and emotional to see me go.”
The respect Herbstreit and others on the College GameDay crew have for Fallica was evident in a segment that saw Herbstreit and Lee Corso reunite with long time GameDay host Chris Fowler to say goodbye to “The Bear.”
“I miss those guys and I wish them well tonight, but I am happy with where I am moving forward,” he said.
In addition to college football, Chris Fallica told Shapiro that he will cover horse racing and soccer for FOX as well. That will allow him to do more with his sports betting bona fides than he has been able to on TV in the past.
