ESPN will present nine offerings of each College Football Playoff Semifinal on Saturday, Dec. 31, courtesy of the network’s signature CFP MegaCast production. In total, more than three dozen different presentations will be available across the New Year’s Six, peaking with the CFP Semifinals as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl showcases No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU (4 p.m. ET) and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl highlights No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State (8 p.m.).
Across all New Year’s Six games, ESPN will provide fans with nearly 40 different presentations across the six preeminent bowls. ESPN’s entire offering of the New Year’s Six is a preview of its presentation of the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Additional New Year’s Six Matchups:
- Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson
- Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State
- Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 16 Tulane vs. No. 10 USC
- Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential: No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 8 Utah
Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show Leads MegaCast Presentation
For the first time since 2019, the MegaCast fan favorite Field Pass returns on ESPN2. Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show will offer entertaining, free-flowing commentary of the CFP Semifinals, anchored by Pat McAfee, who will roam the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium for both semifinal games. McAfee will call the action from the unique vantage point while simultaneously being joined by a rotation of ESPN analysts, notable personalities, and celebrities throughout the game. From the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Robert Griffin III, Taylor Lewan and AQ Shipley are set to join McAfee, AJ Hawk and Darius Butler, who will be live from Atlanta. In primetime, the trio will welcome “Stanford Steve” Coughlin among other guests during the second semifinal showdown.
Technology at the Forefront of CFP Semifinals MegaCast
The College Football Playoff Semifinals MegaCast kicks off with ESPN airing the traditional telecast, which features the network’s innovative technology combined with unique vantage points, providing fans with a state-of-the-art presentation. More than 50 cameras will be deployed inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Featured in at least one of the CFP semifinals will be:
- AllCam: Captures the entire field at all times
- Eight End Zone Pylon Cams: Cameras inside all eight pylons
- First and Ten: Cameras at multiple angles of the first down line
- Ref Cams: Camera connected to multiple referees’ hats
Additional Alternate Presentations (all available on the ESPN App):
- Command Center (ESPNU): A multi-angle presentation, which includes up to four different vantage points at any one time, with real-time player and team statistics supplementing the game action.
- AT&T 5G SkyCast (ESPNEWS): The popular view from above the action and behind the offense on most plays. This unique angle has long been one of ESPN’s alternate viewing options and is readily available on multiple games every week. Replays will be shown every time the main telecast shows a replay, while never losing the look from Skycam.
- All-22 (ESPN App): Watch the game the same way players and coaches study film, with a vantage point high above the field of play. The angle allows for the 22 players on the field to be seen at all times, providing the ability to distinguish how plays develop while listening to the ESPN Radio call.
CFP Semifinal Marching Bands on ESPN App
Returning in 2022, the halftime marching band performances at the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be available on the ESPN App. New this year is coverage of pre-game marching band performances from both semifinals. The sights and sounds of the Michigan Marching Band, TCU’s Horned Frog Marching Band, Georgia’s Redcoat Marching Band and the Ohio State University Marching Band will be streaming live from their respective College Football Playoff semifinals via the All-22 view.
New Year’s Six Set for Spotlight with Alternate Presentations
Both Command Center and SkyCast will also be available on the ESPN App for the Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, as ESPN provides multi-platform presentations for the New Year’s Six. Additionally, the Command Center for the Capital One Orange Bowl will be simulcast on ESPNU and the SkyCast will be shown on both SEC Network and ACC Network. During the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Command Center will be available on SEC Network.
ESPN and Cinemark Team Up to Bring CFP to Big Screen
This postseason, fans can catch the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the biggest game of all, the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T, at select U.S. theatres thanks to ESPN and Cinemark. More details.
Cast of Commentators Set for CFP Semifinals
In addition to multiple presentations, fans will be able to hear the call of the CFP Semifinals from a multitude of broadcast teams:
- Main Telecast (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Molly McGrath and Tiffany Blackmon will call the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. In primetime, ESPN’s lead Saturday Night Football crew of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will be joined by Laura Rutledge in Atlanta for the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
- ESPN Radio (ESPN App): The broadcast is available throughout the country on more than 400 ESPN Radio stations, the ESPN App, ESPNRadio.com, SiriusXM, Apple Music, iHeartRadio and TuneIn.
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- Fiesta Bowl: Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, Ian Fitzsimmons
- Peach Bowl: Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Katie George
- Hometown Audio Feed: Fans can listen to the local radio broadcast of each of the four teams, with their audio feed synced up with ESPN’s presentation. This MegaCast feed is made possible in conjunction with Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from LEARFIELD, Michigan Wolverines Sports Network Powered by LEARFIELD, The Ohio State Sports Network from LEARFIELD, and the Horned Frogs Sports Network Powered by LEARFIELD.
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- Georgia (SEC Network & ESPN App): Scott Howard, Eric Zeier and DJ Shockley
- Further details regarding SEC Network’s coverage from the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be announced next week.
- Michigan (ESPN App): Doug Karsch, Jon Jansen and Jason Avant
- Ohio State (ESPN App): Paul Keels, Jim Lachey, Matt Andrews and Skip Mosic
- TCU (ESPN App): Brian Estridge, John Denton and Landry Burdine
- Georgia (SEC Network & ESPN App): Scott Howard, Eric Zeier and DJ Shockley
- ESPN Deportes (ESPN App): Spanish-language call featuring Ciro Procuna, Ramiro Pruneda and Carlos Nava for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, and Eduardo Varela, Pablo Viruega and Sebastian M. Christensen for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Complete details regarding the College Football Playoff National Championship MegaCast offerings will be released following the CFP Semifinals. For a full schedule of ESPN’s college football postseason coverage, please visit ESPN Press Room.
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