Ahead of Disney’s Upfront event on Tuesday, ESPN revealed a four-game slate of marquee college football matchups starting this September. Six of the teams highlighted in the announcement are part of the network’s “Way-Too-Early Top 25,” and should provide college football fans enthralling action throughout the season.
The Camping World Kickoff Game from Orlando was the first game announced. The match up between the LSU Tigers and Florida State Seminoles will air on ABC on Labor Day.
Six days later, the second week of college football is highlighted by a marquee matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, Sep. 9. That game will air in primetime on ESPN. The game pits Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian against his former boss Nick Saban. Last season, Alabama handed Texas just its second loss in the history of the series on a 33-yard field goal kick with 10 seconds remaining.
The Longhorns return to ABC for the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl against their arch rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, Oct. 7. The two teams will both play in the Southeastern Conference once they leave the Big 12 Conference after the upcoming college football season. Last season’s matchup resulted in a 49-0 win for Texas wherefore Oklahoma will look for redemption.
The final matchup revealed by The Walt Disney Company is a battle between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Clemson Tigers televised on ABC on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Fighting Irish will look to even the all time series from “Death Valley.”
The Walt Disney Company will make additional announcements pertaining to the college football schedule, including Bowl games and special presentations, on Wednesday, May 31. The company also revealed that it will detail more information regarding the forthcoming partnership with the SEC, a decade-long pact worth a reported $300 million per year.
