ESPN's Comprehensive College Football Coverage Kicks Off with Dynamic Commentator Lineup; Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe Return as ABC/ESPN’s Top Team (2024)

ESPN's Comprehensive College Football Coverage Kicks Off with Dynamic Commentator Lineup; Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe Return as ABC/ESPN’s Top Team (1)

  • Additional ABC/ESPN Teams include Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and Molly McGrath; Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Katie George; Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick and Kris Budden; Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich; Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Taylor McGregor; Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker

ESPN’s industry-leading coverage of college football will once again feature the deepest roster of on-air personalities in the sport for the 2024-25 season – a blend of veteran voices, familiar faces and talented newcomers.

More than two dozen teams of veteran play-by-play commentators, informative analysts and versatile reporters will cover the season from August’s Week 0 kickoff through the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta in January 2025.

Chris Fowler,Kirk Herbstreitand reporterHolly Rowewill team up again to call marquee matchups on ABC. The 2024 season marks Fowler and Herbstreit’s 11th year in theSNFbooth and their 29th season as college football teammates, beginning in 1996 onCollege GameDay. Fowler, a 2024 Sports Emmy nominee, and Herbstreit, the five-time Sports Emmy winner, have called all 10 College Football Playoff National Championship games together. Rowe, a 2023 Sports Emmy winner, joined the team in 2021 and is in her 29th college football season for ESPN and ABC.

Another top ABC/ESPN team features Sean McDonough, Greg McElroyand Molly McGrath pairing up for the second season. The Alabama National Champion quarterback enters his ninth season calling games for ESPN and ABC. One of the sport’s leading analysts, McElroy also has studio experience on ESPN and SEC Network, in addition to hosting ESPN and Omaha Productions’Always College Footballpodcast. McDonough, one of the most accomplished broadcasters of his generation, returns to his regular ABC/ESPN rotationfor the sixth straight year in addition to serving as ESPN’s lead NHL play-by-play voice. McGrath, fresh off her third consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship network assignment and second straight Sports Emmy nomination, is in her fifth season in this role and eighth consecutive year at ESPN. She has recently signed a contract extension with ESPN.

The trio of veteran play-by-play voiceJoe Tessitore, longtime ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer and sideline reporterKatie George will work together on ESPN/ABC games for the second straight season. Palmer, a leading ESPN/ABC studio analyst for years, recently signed a contract extension and enters his 17th season at ESPN, previously working in both game and studio analyst roles across ESPN platforms. He’s also a consistent face on ABC as host of the popular Bachelor series. For the better part of two decades, Tessitore has been among the premier broadcasters for ESPN and ABC’s coverage of college football, as well as the veteran blow-by-blow ringside commentator for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, the co-host ofHoley Moleyon ABC, and was just announced as a commentator for WWE. George, a versatile reporter who has covered multiple sports and events for ESPN and ABC – including the NBA, XFL, F1, NCAA Volleyball and more, returns for her sixth year on the sidelines across ESPN platforms.

The teams of Fowler/Herbstreit/Rowe, McDonough/McElroy/McGrath, and Tessitore/Palmer/George will rotate commentary duties for the new SEC on ABC franchise at 3:30 p.m., which debuts Saturday, Aug. 31 with a brand new graphics and animation package.

Additional teams for ESPN/ABC Saturday games:

  • Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich team up for the first time. Mark Jones has served as a college football commentator and leading NBA play-by-play voice for more than three decades. Roddy Jones has been with ESPN since 2017, first as a sideline reporter and then as an analyst on both ACC Network and ESPN. Veteran reporterKessenich is one of ESPN’s top lacrosse voices and a reporter on multiple NCAA Championship events.
  • Bob WischusenandKris Budden will be joined by Louis Riddick on ABC and ESPN. Wischusen, a college football, basketball, golf and NHL voice for ESPN, is also the New York Jets radio voice. Riddick, who is synonymous with ESPN’s NFL game, studio and NFL Draft coverage, readies for his fourth college football campaign and will continue to call selectMonday Night FootballBudden is a regular on ABC and ESPN covering college football, basketball, and is the lead sideline reporter for the Men’s College World Series. Budden has also called multiple College Football Playoff National Championships on ESPN Radio and is a regular voice for college sports studio programming on Sirius XM.
  • Dave Pasch andDusty Dvoracekwill call games together for the fourth consecutive season. A versatile football and basketball play-by-play voice – who also calls Arizona Cardinals NFL games, Pasch recently celebrated his 20th year at ESPN. A two-time Oklahoma Sooner captain and former NFL Draft pick, Dvoracek also contributes to College Football Live, SportsCenter and various SEC Network programming with Oklahoma joining the SEC. Sideline reporter Taylor McGregor joins the duo for the first time this season. McGregor, part of ESPN’s college football team since 2019, is also a commentator and host for Chicago Cubs broadcasts.
  • Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker team up each week in the booth on ESPN’s HBCU spotlights, along with the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kick-Off and the Cricket Celebration Bowl on ABC. The duo has been paired up since 2018, when Greene became the first Black woman to serve as a play-by-play commentator in college football. Walker is a 2018 MEAC Hall of Fame inductee and was voted into the Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.

Lead College Networks Commentating Crews:

  • SEC Network returns itsSEC Saturday Night trio ofTom Hart,Jordan RodgersandCole Cubelicfor the eighth consecutive season.
  • ACC Network Primetimefeatures a new look in 2024, as veteran ESPN field analyst Tom Luginbill moves to the booth for his 20th season at ESPN, joined by ESPN college football newcomer Dana Boyle – a regular on ESPN’s collegiate and professional lacrosse coverage, and longtime play-by-play voiceWes Durham.Details.

Additional Game Crews on ESPN Platforms:

  • Returning Teams:
    • Matt Barrie, Dan Mullen and Harry Lyles
    • Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra
    • Brian Custer, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler
    • Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang
    • Eric Frede and Jack Ford
  • New Teams:
    • Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler and Stormy Buonantony
    • Roy Philpott, Sam Acho and Taylor Davis
    • Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison and Dawn Davenport
    • Dave Neal, Aaron Murray and Ashley ShahAhmadi
    • Jorge Sedano, Orlando Franklin and Morgan Uber
    • Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich and Coley Harvey
    • Jay Alter and Rocky Boiman
    • Lowell Galindo and Fozzy Whittaker
    • Mike Corey/Courtney Lyle* and Rene Ingoglia
    • Matt Schumacker and Dustin Fox
    • Noah Reed and Craig Haubert
    • Clay Matvick and Steve Addazio

* Lyle returns from maternity leave in late September

Additional ESPN college football commentators returning this fall include rules analysts Bill LeMonnier (Saturday Night Football) and Matt Austin (all ESPN platforms, including SEC games), as well as play-by-play commentators James Westling, Jason Ross, Jr., Drew Carter, Roxy Bernstein, Richard Cross, Shawn Kenney, Beth Mowins, Doug Sherman and Ted Emrich, analysts Charlie Strong, Barrett Brooks, Charles Arbuckle, Tyoka Jackson, Forrest Conoly, and reporters Sherree Burruss, Marilyn Payne, Tori Petry and Ashley Stroehlein, among others.

ESPN Re-Signs College Football Commentators to New Contracts
ESPN strengthened its college football roster by signing multiple on-air personalities to new or extended contracts during the offseason. In addition to the aforementioned extensions, ESPN re-signed the following game talent to new contracts (in alphabetical order): Steve Addazio, Dana Boyle, Stormy Buonantony, Je’Rod Cherry, Richard Cross, Taylor Davis, Ted Emrich, Dave Flemming, Dustin Fox, Orlando Franklin, Lowell Galindo, Tom Hart, Tyoka Jackson, Chuckie Kempf, Taylor McGregor, Dan Mullen, Aaron Murray, Brock Osweiler, Noah Reed, Michael Reghi, Jason Ross Jr, Matt Schumacker, Ashley ShahAhmadi, Doug Sherman, Matt Simms, Lauren Sisler, Morgan Uber, James Westling, Fozzy Whittaker and Taylor Zarzour.

ESPN Radio
Marc Kestecher, the lead voice for the NBA on ESPN Radio, continues as the top college football play-by-play commentator this season, joined by veteransKelly Stouffer(analyst), the former NFL and Colorado State quarterback, and ESPN veteranIan Fitzsimmons(reporter). Longtime ESPN play-by-play commentatorMike Couzens– ESPN Radio’s top college basketball voice – will continue to call games with Florida alum and two-time Super Bowl champion Max Starks.

The most-anticipated season of college football is set for ESPN platforms with an unequaled portfolio of marquee rivalries, non-conference showcases, conference championship contests and comprehensive postseason coverage. For updates to programming schedules and game assignments, please visitESPNPressRoom.com.

ESPN College Football Commentator Assignments for Weeks 0 & 1:

DateTime (ET)Matchup/CommentatorsPlatform
Sat, Aug 24NoonAer Lingus College Football Classic: No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (from Dublin, Ireland)
Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George
ESPN
3:30 p.m.McNeese at Tarleton State
Lowell Galindo, Fozzy Whittaker
ESPN2
7 p.m.FCS Kickoff: North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri State (from Montgomery, Ala.)
Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman, Morgan Uber
ESPN
7:30 p.m.Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kick-Off: Florida A&M vs. Norfolk State (from Atlanta, Ga.)
Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Quint Kessenich
ABC/ESPN+
Thu, Aug 297 p.m.Western Carolina at No. 24 NC State
Wes Durham, Tom Luginbill, Dana Boyle
ACC Network
North Carolina A&T at Wake Forest
Matt Schick, Charles Arbuckle
ESPN+/ACCNX
New Hampshire at UCF
Robert Lee, Rene Ingoglia
ESPN+
Central Connecticut at Central Michigan
Dan Gutowsky, Randy Buffington
ESPN+
Lafayette at Buffalo
Anthony Lima, Jordan Reid
ESPN+
Fordham at Bowling Green
Joey Lindstrom, Ryan Cavanaugh
ESPN+
Jackson State at UL MonroeESPN+
7:30 p.m.Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas (from Little Rock, Ark.)
Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman
ESPNU
Duquesne at Toledo
Michael Reghi, Marcus Ray
ESPN+
8 p.m.North Dakota State at Colorado
Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Quint Kessenich
ESPN
Murray State at No. 11 Missouri
Matt Barrie, Dan Mullen, Harry Lyles Jr
SEC Network
Lindenwood at No. 22 Kansas
Shawn Kenney, Taylor McHargue
ESPN+
Alcorn State at UAB
Nate Gatter, Jay Sonnhalter
ESPN+
SE Louisiana at Tulane
Doug Sherman, Tyoka Jackson
ESPN+
Northwestern State at Tulsa
James Westling, Leger Douzable
ESPN+
9 p.m.Southern Utah at No. 12 Utah
Richard Cross, Barrett Brooks, Shane Sparks
ESPN+
Fri, Aug 307 p.m.Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma
Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra
ESPN
7:30 p.m.Elon at Duke
Clay Matvick, Steve Addazio, Justin Walters
ACC Network
10:30 p.m.TCU at Stanford
Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler, Stormy Buonantony
ESPN
Sat, Aug 3111:30 a.m.No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia
Mike Couzens, Max Starks, Mike Peasley
ESPN Radio
NoonAflac Kickoff: No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (from Atlanta, Ga.)
Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath
ABC/ESPN+
Virginia Tech at Vanderbilt
Roy Philpott, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis
ESPN
Kent State at Pittsburgh
Matt Schumacker, Dustin Fox
ESPNU
Austin Peay at Louisville
Jorge Sedano, Orlando Franklin, Morgan Uber
ACC Network
12:45 p.m.Chattanooga at No. 15 Tennessee
Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang
SEC Network
2 p.m.South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State
Shawn Kenney, Taylor McHargue, Tori Petry
ESPN+
2:30 p.m.Towson at Cincinnati
Eric Rothman, Je’rod Cherry
ESPN+
3:30 p.m.No. 19 Miami at Florida
Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George
ABC/ESPN+
Colorado State at No. 4 Texas
Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, Dawn Davenport
ESPN
Ohio at Syracuse
Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Coley Harvey
ACC Network
Western Illinois at Northern Illinois
Kelsie Kasper, Ryan Cavanaugh
ESPN+
Kennesaw State at UTSA
Jack Benjamin, LaDarrin McLane
ESPN+
Eastern Michigan at MassachusettsESPN+
East Tennessee State at Appalachian StateESPN+
4 p.m.Boise State at Georgia Southern
Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia
ESPNU
4:15 p.m.Old Dominion at South Carolina
Dave Neal, Aaron Murray, Ashley ShahAhmadi
SEC Network
5 p.m.UC Davis at California
Roxy Bernstein, Craig Haubert, Sherree Burruss
ESPN+/ACCNX
North Texas at South AlabamaESPN+
Campbell at LibertyESPN+
6 p.m.Eastern Kentucky at Mississippi State
Kevin Fitzgerald, Charlie Strong
ESPN+/SECN+
Richmond at Virginia
Chris Carlin, Forrest Conoly
ESPN+/ACCNX
Norfolk State at East Carolina
Joe Tordy, Reggie Walker
ESPN+
South Carolina State at Florida A&M
Noah Reed, Byron Chamberlain
ESPN+
7 p.m.Western Kentucky at No. 5 Alabama
Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor
ESPN
Furman at No. 6 Ole Miss
Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman, Ashley Stroehlein
ESPN+/SECN+
UT Martin at No. 18 Kansas State
Mark Neely, Ahman Green
ESPN+
Tarleton State at Baylor
Peter Sousa, Brad Hopkins
ESPN+
North Alabama at Memphis
James Westling, Leger Douzable
ESPN+
Sam Houston at Rice
Chuckie Kempf, Doc Holiday
ESPN+
Bethune-Cookman at South Florida
AJ Ricketts, Patrick Murray
ESPN+
Tennessee Tech at Middle TennesseeESPN+
Central Arkansas at Arkansas StateESPN+
Nevada at TroyESPN+
7:30 p.m.No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
ABC/ESPN+
Alabama A&M at Auburn
Lowell Galindo, Fozzy Whittaker
ESPN+/SECN+
Abilene Christian at Texas Tech
Ted Emrich, Dave Steckel
ESPN+
7:45 p.m.Southern Miss at Kentucky
Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
SEC Network
8 p.m.James Madison at Charlotte
Justin Kutcher, Charles Arbuckle
ESPNU
Georgia State at Georgia Tech
Wes Durham, Tom Luginbill, Dana Boyle
ACC Network
Houston Christian at SMU
Doug Sherman, Tyoka Jackson, Marilyn Payne
ESPN+/ACCNX
Southern Illinois at BYU
Richard Cross, Barrett Brooks
ESPN+
Nicholls at Louisiana TechESPN+
Grambling at LouisianaESPN+
Lamar at Texas StateESPN+
9 p.m.Southeast Missouri State at New Mexico StateESPN+
10:30 p.m.New Mexico at No. 21 Arizona
Brian Custer, Rod Gilmore, Lauren Sisler
ESPN
Sun, Sep 13 p.m.Denny’s Orange Blossom Classic: North Carolina Central vs. Alabama State (from Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker
ESPN
7 p.m.Red Tails Classic: Tuskegee vs. Johnson C. Smith (from Montgomery, Ala.)
Jason Ross Jr, Marcus Ray
ESPNU
7:30 p.m.Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic: No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (from Las Vegas, Nev.)
TV: Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
Radio: Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, Ian Fitzsimmons
ABC/ESPN+/ESPN Radio
Mon, Sep 27:30 p.m.Boston College at No. 10 Florida State
Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden
ESPN

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ESPN's Comprehensive College Football Coverage Kicks Off with Dynamic Commentator Lineup; Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe Return as ABC/ESPN’s Top Team (2024)

FAQs

How much does Chris Fowler get paid? ›

Fowler recently completed his existing 10-year contract that paid $30 million in total and was looking for a raise, but ESPN only awarded him a small increase, according to that report, while announcing some major layoffs from the network.

Who hosts with Kirk Herbstreit? ›

Herbstreit joined ESPN in 1996, and has since gained roles as lead analyst on College GameDay with host Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and Lee Corso. He serves as the analyst for ABC's Saturday college football primetime games alongside former GameDay host and longtime colleague Chris Fowler.

Who is the highest paid announcer in pro football? ›

How much do NFL announcers earn? Highest paid commentators take home more than footballers
  • Mike Tirico - $10.5 million.
  • Jim Nantz - $10.5 million.
  • Al Michaels - $11 million.
  • Joe Buck - $12 million.
  • Cris Collinsworth - $12.5 million.
  • Tony Romo - $18 million.
  • Troy Aikman - $18.5 million.
  • Tom Brady - $37.5 million.

Does Chris Fowler still work for ESPN? ›

Chris Fowler (born August 23, 1962) is an American sports broadcaster for ESPN, who serves as the play-by-play announcer for Saturday Night Football on ABC and ESPN's tennis coverage.

What degree does Kirk Herbstreit have? ›

A native of Centerville, Ohio, Herbstreit earned a degree in business administration in 1993 from The Ohio State University, where he was a quarterback and four-year letterman with the Buckeyes (1989-92).

Does Kirk Herbstreit have a wife? ›

How many dogs does Kirk Herbstreit have? ›

Kirk Herbstreit is an ESPN football commentator and an analyst for ESPN's College GameDay. People tune in to hear their thoughts on the game and what they think will happen. But, honestly, most people are there for his dog. Kirk has four dogs, but one of them has been stealing the spotlight, and he's here for it.

How much does Kirk Herbstreit make in salary? ›

He previously earned $6 million dollars in his role at ESPN and ABC, but the extension in March 2022 increased it to around $8 million. As a result, his contracts with ESPN and Amazon combined have brought him to a financial range of approximately $18 million per year.

Is Chris Fowler still married? ›

Chris Fowler was born on 23 August 1962. He is a writer and producer, known for Challengers (2024), The Waterboy (1998) and College GameDay (1986). He has been married to Jennifer Dempster since 2006.

How much does Josh Floyd football coach get paid? ›

Floyd's total salary adds up to $120,000 for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. That's $47,196 for his teaching schedule, $32,000 in a supplement as the head football coach and another $40,804 for serving as the assistant athletic director for football programs.

How long does Chris Davis get paid? ›

Chris Davis: $9.1 million; part of two Baltimore Orioles' deferred payment agreements for a 7-year, $161 million contract; Davis will collect another $40 million through 2037.

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