- More than 26 hours of live studio coverage kicks off Saturday
- Multiple network sets throughout downtown Indianapolis
- Guest analysts include Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell, former Mississippi State and Florida head coach Dan Mullen
ESPN’s studio programming from the Circle City begins this weekend, leading into the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T featuring No. 3 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama on Monday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. ET. With multiple sets located both inside Lucas Oil Stadium and throughout downtown Indianapolis, hosts, analysts and reporters will provide news and updates throughout the weekend as the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide prepare for the season finale.
ESPN’s on-site studio coverage kicks off with multi-network programming surrounding Media Days on Saturday and Sunday. Guest analysts Luke Fickell and Dan Mullen join ESPN’s studio coverage from Indianapolis, appearing on a variety of shows, including SportsCenter, College Football Live, Championship Drive Presented by Capital One, College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, and several SEC Network studio shows.
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot features host Rece Davis alongside analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Lee Corso. The GameDay crew will be joined as usual by reporters Jen Lada and Gene Wojciechowski, as well as ESPN commentators Matt Barrie, Joe Tessitore, Robert Griffin III, Jesse Palmer, Greg McElroy and Joey Galloway. Davis will lead ESPN’s pre-game studio coverage Monday with four hours of Championship Drive Presented by Capital One and College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, as well as hosting halftime of Monday’s championship game alongside Howard and Pollack. Barrie will co-host SportsCenter from the Circle City Monday at noon, with several ESPN personalities joining the show.
ESPN Reporters Set for Sidelines and Storylines
A pair of ESPN reporters have been assigned to the respective CFP National Championship finalists, with Holly Rowe (Alabama) and Molly McGrath (Georgia) on site in Indianapolis for the game and surrounding studio programming.
ESPN.com has the College Football Playoff covered, as Andrea Adelson, Heather Dinich, Chris Low, Ryan McGee and Mark Schlabach will report from Indianapolis beginning Friday.
SportsCenter will also have a full slate of live updates from Indy, starting Saturday and continuing through kickoff. Additionally, ESPN’s NFL programming throughout the weekend will feature CFP National Championship preview segments as the college football world turns to Indy.
Features Fixed on College Football’s Biggest Stage
- The Mailman: Stetson Bennett IV is the underdog who became a Georgia Bulldog–twice. He was too short, too this, too that. Turns out he was also too good to ignore. Now the player they call the mailman hopes to deliver Georgia its first national championship since 1980. Reporter: Gene Wojciechowski
- Defeating Your Nemesis: Georgia has lost seven straight games to Alabama, many in gut-wrenching fashion, but the Dawgs are not alone when it comes to having a nemesis. From the Red Sox’ historic defeat of the Yankees in the 2004 playoffs, to Team USA’s victory in the Miracle on Ice, Pedro Martinez and Mike Eruzione share what it ultimately took for them to defeat their nemeses.
- Winning In Indy: Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves bestows advice to Alabama and Georgia, sharing just what it takes to win in Indy.
- Saban-Smart Sitdown: Rece Davis sits in conversation together with Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, previewing Monday’s championship matchup.
- Kirby’s Quest: Heading into the fifth installment of Alabama-Georgia in the Saban-Smart era, Wright Thompson on the challenges that not only face Kirby Smart, but all those who have come before him when you run again and again into the GOAT.
- Skull Sessions: The connection of Georgia’s team runs deeper than football. Their love for each other shows on the field with how they communicate, how they attack, and how they build each other up. That bond was built in the offseason, through what the team calls “Skull Sessions,” small team meetings focused on figuring out their why.Reporter: Jen Lada
- Chasing Greatness: Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young turned himself into a highly touted prospect, but it wasn’t always that way. How his relentless pursuit of greatness led him from the steps of the Rose Bowl to the cusp of a National Championship.
- Hometown Pride: Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean displayed pure joy when his hometown of Horn Lake, Miss. was mentioned after defeating Michigan in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. After his mother – a former director of community affairs – instilled a passion for community service in her son, Dean has made it a priority to give back to others in Athens and back home in Horn Lake.
SEC Network
With a rematch of last month’s SEC Championship Game on the horizon in Indianapolis, SEC Network is set for nearly 20 hours of live coverage surrounding the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship between No. 3 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama. Championship Monday features more than 14 hours of wall-to-wall programming highlighting the SEC vs. SEC showdown. Details.
ESPN Digital and Social
Countdown to the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T 5G is one of a number of digital shows surrounding ESPN’s postseason coverage, with Christine Williamson, Gary Striewski, Jason Fitz, Skubie Mageza, Harry Douglas and Mike Golic Jr. preparing fans for the season finale of the college football season. The show, originating from Lucas Oil Stadium, is live across Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10.
Fans can follow and engage in all the action across College GameDay’s social platforms (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok).
ESPN+ Exclusively Streams Inside the College Football Playoff, Full CFP Archive
To help get fans ready for the upcoming College Football Playoff, ESPN+ will exclusively stream four episodes of Inside the College Football Playoff, featuring an inside look at Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and Cincinnati as the elite college football programs battle to claim the ultimate prize – a national championship.
Additionally, fans can stream every single semifinal and national championship since the inception of the College Football Playoff. The 23 games can be accessed exclusively on ESPN+. More details on ESPN’s CFP offerings here.
ESPN STUDIO PROGRAMMING – CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
| Date | Time (ET) | Programming | Network |
| Sat, Jan 8 | 9 a.m. | CFP National Championship Media Day | ESPN2/ESPNU |
| SEC Now: Media Days | SEC Network | ||
| Sun, Jan 9 | 9 a.m. | SEC Now: Coaches Press Conferences | SEC Network |
| 11 a.m. | SEC Now | SEC Network | |
| 2:30 p.m. | Path to the College Football Playoff Presented by AT&T 5G | ABC | |
| 3 p.m. | Path to the College Football Playoff Presented by AT&T 5G | ABC | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Championship Drive: Countdown to Kickoff Presented by AT&T 5G | ESPN | |
| Mon, Jan 10 | 8 a.m. | SEC This Morning | SEC Network |
| 1:30 p.m. | College Football Live Built by The Home Depot | ESPN/ESPNU | |
| 2 p.m. | Marty & McGee Presented by Old Trapper | SEC Network | |
| 3 p.m. | Championship Drive Presented by Capital One | ESPN/ESPNU | |
| The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Regions | SEC Network | ||
| 6 p.m. | College GameDay Built by The Home Depot | ESPN/ESPNU | |
| SEC Nation Presented by Dr Pepper | SEC Network | ||
| 7:30 p.m. | Ram Trucks College Football Pregame | ESPN/ESPN2/ ESPNU/NEWS |
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| College Football: Pregame Show | ESPN Deportes | ||
| 8 p.m. | AT&T 5G Pregame Showcase | ESPN/ESPN2/ ESPNU/NEWS |
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| 11:45 p.m. | Ram Trucks Postgame | ESPN | |
| College Football Final Presented by Capital One | ESPN2 | ||
| SEC Football Final Presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors | SEC Network |
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