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

• 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 Herbstreit and reporter Holly Rowe will team up again to call marquee matchups on ABC. The 2024 season marks Fowler and Herbstreit’s 11th year in the SNF booth and their 29th season as college football teammates, beginning in 1996 on College 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 McElroy and 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 Football podcast. McDonough, one of the most accomplished broadcasters of his generation, returns to his regular ABC/ESPN rotation for 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 voice Joe Tessitore, longtime ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer and sideline reporter Katie 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 of Holey Moley on 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 reporter Kessenich is one of ESPN’s top lacrosse voices and a reporter on multiple NCAA Championship events.
• Bob Wischusen and Kris 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 select Monday Night Football Budden 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 and Dusty Dvoracek will 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 its SEC Saturday Night trio of Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic for the eighth consecutive season.
• ACC Network Primetime features a new look in 2024, as veteran ESPN field analyst Tom Luginbill moves to the booth for his 20^th 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 voice Wes Durham. Details.

Additional Game Crews on ESPN Platforms:

• • 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

• • 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 veterans Kelly Stouffer (analyst), the former NFL and Colorado State quarterback, and ESPN veteran 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.

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 visit ESPNPressRoom.com.

ESPN College Football Commentator Assignments for Weeks 0 & 1: