ABC will air the Heisman Trophy Ceremony for the first time on Saturday, December 13, at 7 p.m. ET, bringing the nation’s most prestigious individual award in college football to a new broadcast home. The event will originate from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York City, marking the fifth consecutive year the ceremony is held at the iconic venue.
Chris Fowler will return as host, emceeing the event for a record 32nd straight year. Fowler will be joined by ESPN college football reporters Holly Rowe and Marty Smith, alongside analysts and former Heisman winners Desmond Howard, Tim Tebow and Andre Ware.
The 2025 Heisman finalists will be revealed earlier that week during Monday Night Countdown, following the conclusion of conference championship weekend. Voting for the trophy closes on Monday, December 8.
The ceremony is part of a full day of live sports programming across ABC and ESPN, offering college football fans and sports enthusiasts a high-profile slate of events. The day begins with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at noon on ABC, which showcases the champions of the MEAC and SWAC in a premier HBCU football matchup in Atlanta.
ABC will continue its football coverage at 3:30 p.m. ET with a live NCAA Division I FCS Quarterfinal, spotlighting two of the nation’s top FCS programs competing for a spot in the semifinals. Simultaneously, ESPN will air a clash between Memphis and No. 6 Louisville, renewing a storied non-conference rivalry. Memphis enters the game following a 2024 campaign that included American regular season and tournament titles, while Louisville finished second in the ACC.
Later, No. 22 Kansas travels to Raleigh to face No. 24 NC State at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN, part of a home-and-home series with the Jayhawks seeking a fifth straight victory in the matchup.
The day reaches its centerpiece at 7 p.m. ET, when the Heisman Trophy will be presented live from New York City. Following the ceremony, the college basketball regular season resumes with Indiana visiting No. 9 Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, rekindling a rivalry dormant for 14 years.
ABC will close the night with the Bucked Up LA Bowl at 8 p.m., featuring teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 at SoFi Stadium, while ESPN airs the C.M. Newton Classic at 9:30 p.m., a rematch of last year’s meeting between No. 13 Arizona and No. 19 Alabama in Birmingham.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
