ESPN has announced its plans for studio programming surrounding the College Football Playoff featuring eight days of on-site programs across six ESPN platforms. As the knockout invitational tournament expands to 12 teams for the first time, ESPN will present more than 40 hours of studio shows and provide extensive coverage leading up to the championship run. The company recently reached a new six-year media rights deal with the College Football Playoff that begins in 2026 while expanding its current contract for the final two years.
Following its most-viewed regular season in its 38-year history, College GameDay will make two trips in the First Round starting on Friday, Dec. 20. The program will broadcast live from South Bend, Ind. from 3:30 to 8 p.m. EST ahead of Notre Dame facing Indiana. From there, the team will go to Columbus, Ohio to broadcast a three-hour show before Ohio State faces Tennessee. The show will continue broadcasting through the College Football Playoff with an episode from the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl Game on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
The program will be live for 90-minute shows at the Capital One Orange Bowl and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic before culminating at the National Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 20. Rece Davis will host the program with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. Reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims, in addition to college football insider Pete Thamel and college football betting analyst ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin, will also make contributions to the shows.
ESPN Radio will continue its presentation of CFB Tailgate on Friday, Jan. 10 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. EST before the Cotton Bowl. The show will also travel to Atlanta for the National Championship Game, broadcasting from 4 to 6:30 p.m. EST. Throughout the season, the road show has featured Jonathan Zaslow, Amber Wilson and Rashad Jennings on Saturdays leading into college football action during the regular season.
ESPN will also present digital content throughout the College Football Playoff, including countdown shows ahead of the Orange Bowl and National Championship Game. Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr. will star on the program, which will be disseminated on the ESPN App, YouTube and Facebook beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST. These platforms will also air The Wrap-Up at the conclusion of each round featuring Matt Simms, Sam Ravech and Skubie Mageza. Additionally, there are three remaining episodes of The Kickoff that will air on Dec. 20, Dec. 27 and Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. EST with SportsCenter anchors Gary Striewski and Randy Scott.
SEC Network of the College Football Playoff begins on Friday, Dec. 20 with SEC This Morning, hosted by Peter Burns and Chris Doering from the Charlotte studios. On-site coverage commences with The Paul Finebaum Show live from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium from 3 to 7 p.m. EST. The next morning, SEC Nation takes the airwaves with Laura Rutledge, Roman Harper, Paul Finebaum, Jordan Rodgers and Tim Tebow.
Later in the day, Marty Smith and Ryan McGee broadcast Marty & McGee from 6 to 7 p.m. EST. Immediately after the program, SEC Now will take the airwaves featuring Doering, Benjamin Watson and Dari Nowkhah ahead of Ohio State and Tennessee at 8:15 p.m. EST. The game will utilize aspects of the ESPN MegaCast production, including Skycast and hometown radio on SEC Network. Once the matchup concludes, Nowkhah, McGee, Doering and Watson will recap the action on SEC Football Final.
ACC Network coverage will start with Mark Packer hosting ACC PM on Friday, Dec. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. EST from Charlotte. Justin Walters, Mark Herzlich and Mark Richt will take part in the program from the network’s studios in Bristol. Conn. Furthermore, ACC Primetime Football broadcasters Wes Durham and Tom Luginbill will report from Penn State with Eddie Royal.
On Saturday morning, ACC Huddle takes the air with Taylor Tannebaum, EJ Manuel and Eric Mac Lain leading into SMU taking on Penn State at 12 p.m. EST. This first-round matchup, along with the subsequent Clemson-Texas game, will air on TNT and stream live on Max as part of a five-year sublicensing deal between TNT Sports and ESPN for select College Football Playoff games.
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