"We try our best to respect the game and showcase and display it in a fashion that might be a little bit more appetizing for a different group of people that are watching alongside the best play commentators on Earth."
His retirement announcement, which comes just before he turns 90, is being met with celebration, reverence—and an honest question: did ESPN wait too long?
The final episode of the regular season, which aired ahead of the SEC Championship Game, averaged 2.1 million viewers and was its best conference championship episode since 2010.
As a whole, the program registered as the fourth most-watched regular-season episode of all time and is up 21% over the comparable edition from last season.
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"We look forward to honoring the content that moved audiences in 2026 and continuing the Gracies’ long-standing investment in the people who will shape what comes next.”