Veteran Voices and Impressive Newcomers Highlight ESPN’s Industry-Leading College Football Coverage for 2023-24 Season

• Fowler, Herbstreit and Rowe Return to ABC Saturday Night Football
• McElroy Joins McDonough and McGrath on ESPN Saturday Night Primetime
• Other Notable ABC/ESPN Teams: Palmer, Tessitore and George; Wischusen, Griffin III and Budden; Pasch, Dvoracek and Luginbill; Jones, Riddick and Kessenich; and Flemming, Osweiler and Burton

ESPN’s industry-leading coverage of college football will once again feature the deepest roster of on-air personalities in the sport for the 2023-24 season – a blend of veteran voices, football’s most familiar faces and talented newcomers.

More than two dozen teams of veteran play-by-play commentators, multifaceted analysts and versatile reporters will cover the season from August’s Week 0 kickoff through the College Football Playoff National Championship in Houston in January 2024. 

Fowler, Herbstreit and Rowe Return to ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and reporter Holly Rowe will team up again to call the weekly ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One marquee matchup. The 2023 season marks Fowler and Herbstreit’s 10th year in the SNF booth and their 28th season as college football teammates, beginning in 1996 on College GameDay. Fowler and Herbstreit, the five-time Sports Emmy winner, have called all nine College Football Playoff National Championship games together. Rowe, who along with Fowler was honored with a 2023 Sports Emmy nomination, joined the team in 2021 and is in her 28th college football season for ESPN and ABC. She also recently received the 2023 Naismith Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award for her contributions to basketball.

McElroy Joins McDonough and McGrath on ESPN Saturday Night Primetime
ESPN’s Saturday Night Primetime has a new look in 2023 with Greg McElroy joining Sean McDonough and reporter Molly McGrath. The Alabama National Champion quarterback has signed a long-term contract extension with ESPN and enters his eighth 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 Football podcast. McDonough, one of the most accomplished broadcasters of his generation, returns to Saturday Night Primetime for the fifth year in addition to serving as ESPN’s lead NHL play-by-play voice. McGrath, fresh off her second straight College Football Playoff National Championship network assignment and a Sports Emmy nomination last season, is in her fourth year on Primetime.

Additional teams for ESPN/ABC Saturday games:

• Jesse Palmer, a leading ESPN/ABC studio analyst for years, returns to the booth for the 2023 season, joining veteran play-by-play voice Joe Tessitore and multifaceted sideline reporter Katie George. Palmer, now in his 16th season at ESPN, previously served as a color analyst for ESPN Thursday Night College Football and was the first-ever lead analyst on SEC Saturday Night for SEC Network. 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 and the co-host of Holey Moley on ABC. 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 fifth year on the sidelines across ESPN platforms. George has recently signed a new, multi-year contract extension.
• Bob Wischusen and Robert Griffin III are another new booth duo for 2023, joined by Kris Budden on ABC and ESPN. Wischusen, a college football, basketball, golf and NHL voice for ESPN, is also the New York Jets radio voice. Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner and a 2023 Sports Emmy nominee, contributes to ESPN’s year-round college and NFL coverage, and has served as an analyst for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Budden is a regular on ABC and ESPN covering college football, basketball, and baseball since moving over from SEC Network following the 2018 season. Budden, who recently signed a multi-year contract extension, has also called multiple College Football Playoff National Championships on ESPN Radio.
• Dave Pasch and Dusty Dvoracek will call games together for the third consecutive season. A versatile football and basketball play-by-play voice – who also calls Arizona Cardinals NFL games, Pasch is celebrating his 20th year at ESPN. A two-time Oklahoma Sooner captain and former NFL Draft pick, Dvoracek continues to expand his ESPN role and recently signed a new deal with ESPN. Veteran field analyst Tom Luginbill, who has been with ESPN for nearly two decades, rejoins the duo and has added XFL to his analyst responsibilities over the past year.
• Mark Jones and Louis Riddick are a new pairing for Saturdays on ABC and ESPN this fall. Jones has served as a college football commentator and leading NBA play-by-play voice for more than three decades. Riddick, who is synonymous with ESPN’s NFL game, studio and NFL Draft coverage, readies for his third college football campaign and will continue to call select Monday Night Football games. Veteran reporter Quint Kessenich, who is teaming up once again with Jones for CFB, is also one of ESPN’s top lacrosse voices and a reporter on multiple NCAA Championship events.
• Veteran play-by-play commentator Dave Flemming welcomes new teammates to the booth and sidelines this fall, as returning second-year analyst Brock Osweiler shifts to ESPN and ABC, joined by ESPN newcomer Kayla Burton. Flemming is a mainstay on college football, basketball, and baseball across ESPN platforms – in addition to serving as the longtime voice of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, while Osweiler, a former NFL quarterback and Arizona State standout, had a banner rookie season in the booth in 2022 and recently signed an extension with ESPN. Burton, a former Lehigh women’s basketball standout, has several years under her belt as a host/reporter for both collegiate and professional sports.

Lead College Networks Commentating Crews:

• SEC Network welcomes its SEC Saturday Night trio of Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic for the seventh consecutive season. Rodgers, who recently signed a multi-year contract extension, returns to SECN’s SEC Nation crew this fall as well. Cubelic has also signed a new, multi-year deal with SEC Network.
• ACC Network Primetime features a new look in 2023, as ESPN NFL and CFB analyst Tim Hasselbeck is joined by longtime play-by-play voice Wes Durham and ACC PM co-host Taylor Tannebaum under the lights on ACCN this fall. Details.
• Longhorn Network’s game crew will combine Lowell Galindo, Fozzy Whittaker and reporter Morgan Uber. Galindo and Whittaker, both LHN studio mainstays, each recently signed new deals with ESPN.

ESPN Newcomers Join Deep Talent Roster
In addition to Burton, ESPN has also added former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason, Miami Hurricanes standout Orlando Franklin and talented sports reporter Sherree Burruss to its college football commentator lineup:

• Mason, who boasts nearly three decades of coaching experience, teams up with longtime play-by-play commentator Dave Neal and sideline reporter Taylor Davis on SEC Network afternoon games. Neal and Davis both recently signed contract extensions with ESPN.
• A six-year NFL veteran, Franklin has worked as a sports radio host in Denver and will link up on ACC Network with returning commentators Jorge Sedano, longtime ESPN Radio and television voice, and reporter Marilyn Payne.
• Burruss, who will continue her role with NFL Network, most recently served as lead sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network and anchor for CBS Sports HQ, primarily covering college basketball and college football. Additionally, she spent two seasons on NFL sidelines reporting on games for CBS. Burruss will also call games on ACC Network with the veteran team of play-by-play Chris Cotter and Boston College star Mark Herzlich, who recently signed a contract extension with ESPN.

Additional Game Crews on ESPN Platforms:

• Returning Teams:
  • Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison and Stormy Buonantony
  • Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang
  • Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker
  • Connor Onion and Craig Haubert

• New Teams:
  • Matt Barrie, Dan Mullen and Harry Lyles
  • Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra
  • Roy Philpott, Roddy Jones and Taylor McGregor
  • Brian Custer, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler
  • John Schriffen, Rocky Boiman and Dawn Davenport
  • Jay Alter and Rene Ingoglia
  • Drew Carter and Dustin Fox
  • Courtney Lyle and Hutson Mason
  • Eric Frede and Jack Ford
  • Clay Matvick and Aaron Murray

ESPN college football contributors returning this fall include rules analysts Bill LeMonnier (Saturday Night Football) and Matt Austin (all ESPN platforms, including SEC games).

ESPN Re-Signs College Football Commentators to New Contracts
ESPN helped solidify its 2023-24 college football roster by signing multiple on-air personalities to new contracts during the offseason. In addition to the aforementioned contract extensions, ESPN re-signed the following game talent to new contracts (in alphabetical order): Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman, Stormy Buonantony, Drew Carter, Brian Custer, Dawn Davenport, Dustin Fox, Rod Gilmore, Craig Haubert, Rene Ingoglia, Alyssa Lang, Courtney Lyle, Clay Matvick, Taylor McGregor, Kirk Morrison, Aaron Murray, Connor Onion, Roy Philpott, Matt Stinchcomb, Jay Walker and Andre Ware.

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 veterans Kelly Stouffer (analyst), the former NFL and Colorado State quarterback, and Ian Fitzsimmons (reporter). Longtime ESPN play-by-play commentator Mike Couzens – ESPN Radio’s top college basketball voice – will continue to call games with Florida alum and two-time Super Bowl champion Max Starks. Stouffer and Starks both recently signed extensions with ESPN.

College football on ESPN platforms returns in 2023 with an unparalleled portfolio of marquee rivalries, non-conference showcases, conference championship contests and comprehensive postseason coverage. For updates to programming schedules and game assignments, please visit ESPNPressRoom.com.