- Rece Davis, who will continue to anchor ESPN’s Saturday studio coverage with analysts Lou Holtz and Mark May, will add play-by-play duties for ESPN’s popular weekly Thursday night ESPN College Football Primetime game series with returning analysts Craig James and Jesse Palmer. Jenn Brown will join the Thursday team as the sideline reporter.
- Analyst Brian Griese and commentator Bob Wischusen will work the ESPN2 Saturday noon telecast. Last year, Griese and Wischusen called various games across the ESPN networks.
- Analyst Herm Edwards, who regularly works as an analyst on ESPN’s NFL coverage, will join Clay Matvick on ESPNU’s Saturday prime-time game.
- Erin Andrews will join an expanded three-hour College GameDay, anchoring several segments of the new first hour on ESPNU beginning at 9 a.m. and contributing reports, interviews and features during the ESPN portion of the show. Chris Fowler will return as show host with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. As part of her role, Andrews will work as the sideline reporter on the game from which College GameDay originates, if the game is on an ESPN network (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc.).
- In addition to Andrews, reporters Holly Rowe, Heather Cox, Jeannine Edwards and Quint Kessenich will return to work the sidelines with specific game assignments to be determined weekly.
- Former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti and former Washington quarterback Brock Huard will team up with commentator Carter Blackburn to work ESPN and ABC Saturday games primarily featuring West Coast sites.
- Veteran ESPN play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins will call ESPN and ESPN2 midweek games with analysts David Norrie or Robert Smith.
- Former Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell will join ESPN as an analyst on the ESPNU afternoon game with announcer Pam Ward, who worked ESPN2’s Saturday noon telecast last year. Kanell will also serve as a studio analyst on College Football Live, SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and more.
- Rob Stone will move from the studio to call play-by-play on the ESPNU noon telecast with former Georgia standout David Pollack, who also worked in the studio last year.
Returning announcing teams:
- Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge working the ESPN Saturday primetime telecast.
- Matt Millen and Sean McDonough calling Saturday telecasts on ABC.
- Analysts Bob Griese and Chris Spielman working the Saturday noon telecast on ESPN with Dave Pasch.
- Veteran announcer Mike Patrick working Saturday afternoon games on ABC with analyst James.
- Dave Neal will call ESPN Regional Television’s Saturday SEC over-the-air syndication games with analyst Andre Ware and reporter Cara Capuano.
Thoughts on the announcing teams:
- I couldn't be happier that ESPN finally got rid of the combination of Terry Gannon and David Norrie for the ABC Pac-10 afternoon games. Living on the West Coast, Gannon and Norrie ruined by afternoon's.
- I'm surprised ESPN split up the dynamic Pam Ward/Ray Bentley ESPN 2 Big Ten morning duo. They were so great together. Oh well I guess they will have to live on in Awful Announcing archives.
- I guess with Andrews moving on to Gameday, Lisa Salters is out as the sideline reporter for Musberger and Herbstreit games. Too bad, I've always been a Salters fan.
- This announcement has me excited about college football. Only 4 more weeks! Only 4 more weeks!
Going from Ward to Wischusen is a lateral move. There's really no difference between them.
ReplyDeleteLisa Salters is out as the sideline reporter for Musberger and Herbstreit games.
ReplyDeleteShe must've complained about flying coach during the NBA playoffs because she was noticeably absent in June.
Pammy should take that interview with either Fox or CBS (if they weren't just blowing smoke) because the elevator is going down for her at ESPN. Actually, she & Wischusen both might've been caught in a numbers game because of Ron Franklin's return.
For kt: ESPN Regional Television MAC Syndication: Michael Reghi, Doug Chapman
@RJBO I guess Reghi likes going to Muncie and Athens to do football.
ReplyDelete@JFein: RJBO is making reference to the Stacy Dales situation a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeleteI find it amusing that Bob Griese will be working the Saturday noon game on ESPN while Brian Griese is working the Saturday noon game on ESPN2.
ReplyDeleteWischusen/Griese > Ward/Bentley
@ 49er16: I deleted the comment to avoid further embarrassment. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat being said, Lisa Salters is still the type of person to that would complain about something like that, even if she did not actually do so. ;-)
It does amaze me how far Bob Griese has fallen. He called national championship games in the past and now is relegated to Afternoon Big Ten games.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Pammy is doing afternoon games on ESPNU now?
ReplyDeleteGreat, that means I'll get her for about 8 Maryland games this season.
@Kris: Yep, Pammy is now announcing the afternoon ESPNU game. Meaning I'll have to watch her game on ESPN3.com.
ReplyDelete/Doesn't have ESPNU
@Keith Pam Ward games should come with a Surgeon General's warning...
ReplyDeleteSorry for the confusion on the earlier comment, fellas. I'll (try to) keep the unfunny resets to a minimum.
ReplyDeletePam Ward demoted to ESPNU.
ReplyDeleteThat's a step forward in the progress of moving The Pam Ward Chronicles over to the506.com from Awful Announcing (R.I.P.)