ESPN and the Southeastern Conference launched the SEC Network 10 years ago Wednesday with a broadcast of SEC Now on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. EST. Brent Musburger was featured on the debut edition of the program along with Paul Finebaum, Maria Taylor, Greg McElroy, Dari Nowkhah and Booger McFarland.
Among the reporters who were live at various locations across the conference include Laura Rutledge, Joe Tessitore, Kaylee Hartung, Shannon Spake, Ryan McGee, Jessica Mendoza, Peter Burns and Rece Davis. Additionally, Marcus Spears interviewed his former head coach Nick Saban, and Tim Tebow conducted an interview with Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel. The ensuing 14 days featured events and specials, including a venture to feature 14 schools over that time with team previews, memorable games and SEC features.
Over the last decade, the broadcast network has featured live game broadcasts of sports within the conference and various sports talk shows, including SEC Nation, Marty & McGee and The Paul Finebaum Show. Finebaum recently signed a multiyear contract extension with ESPN that will have him continue to have a prominent role in programming for both networks.
The SEC Network is currently preparing for the 2024 college football season with a roster of commentators that includes Roman Harper, Laura Rutledge, Randall Cobb, Tim Tebow and Alyssa Lang. Anniversary endeavors throughout the day include special editions of both SEC Now and The Paul Finebaum Show that look back on the stories and personalities over the last decade. Throughout the day, the network is also airing College Football Playoff moments of glory from 2019-2022, along with a 10-year anniversary logo used on the programming.
Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the SEC Network is the premiere of Decade of Dominance, a special film created by Emmy Award-winning director Rory Karpf and narrated by award-winning country music star Luke Bryan. The presentation will highlight the success of the SEC over the last decade, featuring interviews with stars such as Derrick Henry, Joe Burrow, DeVonta Smith and Justin Jefferson. Viewers can tune in to SEC Network at 8 p.m. EST to view the project, reflecting on the last decade and looking ahead as the conference welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the 16-team organization.
The upcoming college football season also marks the beginning of the SEC on ABC broadcast property following the media rights agreement between the conference and The Walt Disney Company. This agreement is reportedly worth a collective $3 billion over 10 years and includes media rights to several marquee games, including the Iron Bowl, and exists in tandem with an ongoing 20-year agreement between both entities. Under the latter contract, ESPN Networks and the SEC Network air more than 1,950 SEC games across the 21 sports within the conference.
The first college football game of the season to air on SEC Network will take place on Thursday, Aug. 29 between Murray State and Missouri at 8 p.m. EST. ABC will televise a tripleheader on Saturday, Aug. 31 beginning with a matchup between Clemson and Georgia in Atlanta, Ga. at 12 p.m. EST. The broadcast network will also present a Sunday night matchup in prime time between USC and LSU from Las Vegas, Nev.
Various sports media entities and personalities looked back at the impact of the SEC Network and anticipated the years to come throughout the day on social media:
