Here’s a guide to all the changes for college football on television in 2023
What we know about college football is that college football is changing. A lot. A whole lot. College football on television is changing, too.
Saturday is so-called Week 0. Notre Dame plays Navy in Dublin. Vanderbilt plays Hawaii at an under-renovation stadium. And while seismic shifts arrive in 2024, there are big changes this campaign.
The Big Ten is on NBC: Actually, the Big Ten is almost everywhere. As part of the Big Ten’s $7 billion media rights deal, NBC will air a weekly prime-time game for a cool $350 million a year. Telecast time is 7:30 p.m.
Noah Eagle, the 25-year-old son of the great Ian Eagle, will handle play-by-play. Todd Blackledge jumped from ESPN to NBC to do color. Kathryn Tappen, former sideline reporter on Notre Dame broadcasts, will be on Big Ten sidelines. The debut features West Virginia at Penn State at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2.
The Big Ten is on CBS: As a starting point for its deal with the Big Ten, CBS will air a handful of Big Ten games, starting with Ohio State at Indiana on Sept. 2. Former Purdue quarterback Gary Danielson, CBS lead analyst for SEC games since 2006, returns to his roots. He’s teamed again with Brad Nessler.
The Big Ten is not on ESPN: Not at all, as it turns out. That’s the reason the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in basketball is now the ACC/SEC Challenge. We digress. This is a football broadcast guide.
The SEC is still on CBS: It’s the last hurrah for the SEC in that traditional 3:30 p.m. Saturday time slot on CBS. South Carolina at Georgia on Sept. 16 is this year’s first game. The SEC’s exclusive $3 billion, 10-year contract with ESPN kicks off in 2024. ABC will get the 3:30 p.m. Saturday SEC game. That’s also when the Big Ten slides into CBS’ 3:30 p.m. window.
The Big Ten is on Fox: No change there. The Big Ten and Big 12 will share the “Big Noon Kickoff” game on Fox, the first of what in 2024 will be a tripleheader of Big Ten games on the broadcast networks — Fox at noon, CBS at 3:30 p.m. and NBC at 7:30 p.m. As for 2023, Fox’s opener has Nebraska at Minnesota on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m.
The Big 12 is on ESPN and Fox: After Texas and Oklahoma announced their intentions of fleeing for the SEC, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark saved the league’s bacon by recruiting Houston, UCF, Cincinnati and BYU. Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State join next year. The Big 12 has a $2.3 billion deal with ESPN and Fox. Its first Big noon game is Deion Sanders and Colorado at TCU on Sept. 2.
The ACC is on the CW: Hamstrung by its 15-year deal with ESPN, the ACC is selling 50 football and basketball games to the CW. ACC staple Raycom will produce the broadcasts. First game is Cincinnati at Pittsburgh at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9.
Notre Dame is still on NBC: The Irish aren’t going anywhere. In addition to its Big Ten broadcasts, NBC is still partners with the Golden Domers. NBC has Saturday’s Notre Dame-Navy game at 2:30 p.m.
ESPN’s No. 1 broadcast team remains the same: It’s another year of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the World Wide Leader. There are a couple of changes to “College GameDay.” David Pollack was among ESPN’s recent list of layoffs. Pat McAfee and his tank top will have even more of a presence.
Greg McElroy is now No. 2 at ESPN: With Blackledge moving to NBC, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy joins the booth with play-by-play ace Sean McDonough.
There’s more: As before, you will be able to find an assortment of games on the SEC Network (Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers remain lead team), the Big Ten Network, the ACC Network, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, the CBS Sports Network and even the Pac-12 Network. You can also stream games on ESPN Plus, Paramount Plus and Peacock.
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