Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor Call ABC’s Saturday Night Football 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn; Trio Also Calls ESPN’s Labor Day Night Game Featuring No. 9 Notre Dame at Louisville

Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe Call ABC’s Fourth Annual Kickoff Weekend Sunday Night Prime-time Special: No. 4 Oklahoma Hosting Houston

Matt Hasselbeck, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick Begin New College Football Roles; Ryan Leaf and Pat McAfee Debut in New Analyst Roles

No. 1 Clemson, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Oklahoma on ESPN’s Networks; The Crimson Tide vs. Duke in ESPN CFB150 Showcase Game of the Week

Innovation and Technology Front and Center: Multiple New Cameras Provide Dynamic Views; BlimpCast Returns for Labor Day Night

ESPN has solidified its game assignments for the network’s annual College Football Kickoff Weekend featuring more than 75 games, including more than half of the ranked teams’ season openers, across Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29 – Sept. 2). Today’s announcement comes just days after ESPN’s College Football 150 multi-platform initiative was fully launched and hours before the network’s Week 0 action, which includes the return of College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, the first ESPN CFB 150 Showcase Game featuring Miami and No. 8 Florida in the Camping World Kickoff and the airing of Football is US: The College Game.

Fowler, Herbstreit & Taylor Front and Center for Two Prime-time Games

Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor will be front and center for the season debut of ABC’s Saturday Night Football featuring No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn (7:30 p.m. ET) from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Pac-12 – SEC showdown will mark the start of the trio’s third season together.

Fowler, Herbstreit and Taylor will then call ESPN’s annual Labor Day game, featuring No. 9 Notre Dame at Louisville (8 p.m.). The game will cap a 10-day, three-game stretch for ESPN’s lead commentating group, which will begin with the aforementioned Hurricanes-Gators showdown on Saturday, August 24, on ESPN (7 p.m.).

McDonough, Blackledge and Rowe Onsite for Fourth Annual Kickoff Weekend ABC Sunday Night Special

Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe begin their second tour together in Norman, Okla., as No. 4 Oklahoma hosts Houston in ABC’s fourth annual Kickoff Weekend Sunday night special (7:30 p.m.). The game is the only prime-time game of the day and is expected to feature the Sooners debut of quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Levy, Griese, McShay and McGrath Call ESPN CFB150 Showcase Game of the Week Featuring No. 2 Alabama

Leading into Saturday Night Football, Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay and Molly McGrath will call ESPN CFB150 Showcase Game of the Week between Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on ABC (3:30 p.m.). Starting ABC’s Saturday tripleheader, Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek and Olivia Dekker will call Ole Miss at Memphis (noon).

On ESPN, Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, and Tom Luginbill will call ESPN’s prime-time game, as Boise State plays Florida State in Jacksonville, Fla., (7 p.m.). Leading into the non-conference matchup, Dan Orlovsky begins his first year with Bob Wischusen and Allison Williams as they call South Carolina vs. North Carolina in the 2019 Belk Kickoff (3:30 p.m.) from Charlotte, N.C. Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht and Rocky Boiman begin the day with South Alabama at Nebraska (noon).

New Season, New Faces

ESPN welcomes new additions to its roster, with each beginning their new, regular roles as college football game analysts:

Thursday Night: Pat McAfee and Matt Hasselbeck join Adam Amin and Molly McGrath for UCLA at Cincinnati on ESPN (7 p.m.) – August 29

Pat McAfee and Matt Hasselbeck join Adam Amin and Molly McGrath for UCLA at Cincinnati on ESPN (7 p.m.) – August 29 Friday Night: Louis Riddick will be with Dave Flemming and Paul Carcaterra for No. 19 Wisconsin at South Florida (7 p.m.) – August 30

Louis Riddick will be with Dave Flemming and Paul Carcaterra for No. 19 Wisconsin at South Florida (7 p.m.) – August 30 Saturday: Ryan Leaf will be with Clay Matvick for Georgia State at Tennessee on ESPNU (3:30 p.m.)

ACC Network Featuring No. 1 Clemson, SEC Network with No. 3 Georgia, and Longhorn Network with No. 10 Texas Begin Game Slates

ACC Network’s Primetime Football team of Dave O’Brien, Tim Hasselbeck and Katie George will make their debut when they call the first live football game on the network: Georgia Tech at No. 1 Clemson on Thursday, Aug. 29 (8 p.m.)

SEC Network’s SEC Saturday Night team of Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic will call No. 3 Georgia at Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m.)

Longhorn Network’s Lowell Galindo, Ahmad Brooks, and Taylor Davis will call No. 10 Texas’ season opener, as the Longhorns host Louisiana Tech (8 p.m.).

Innovation and Technology Key Themes to Industry Leading Coverage

ESPN’s innovation and technology will be on display throughout the five-day stretch, highlighted by the following features:

BlimpCast will be live on Labor Day night, as the Goodyear Blimp flies high above Cardinal Stadium with Marty Smith and Ryan McGee onboard, reacting in real time to the action 1,000 feet below them. The unique, alternative view will be available on ESPN3 and the ESPN App. The Goodyear Blimp, an honorary member of the College Football Hall of Fame, has provided aerial coverage for more than 2,000 college football games dating back to 1955. For ESPN and Goodyear, Labor Day night will mark the second BlimpCast, following its debut at last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship.

ABC’s Saturday Night Football marks the college football regular season debut of three dynamic cameras: ‘Enhanced Line to Gain Pylon Cam’; a ‘Marker Cam’, which has pan, tilt and zoom optics within the systems; and All Cam. Each will be standard technologies used on most ABC Saturday Night Football games this season. More on the technologies can be found here.

In addition to BlimpCast, ESPN will activate multiple alternate presentations throughout Kickoff Weekend: SkyCam on ESPN3 and ESPN APP: 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma 9 Notre Dame vs. Louisville Command Center on ESPN3 and ESPN APP: 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn ACC Network will have alternative viewing options for the Labor Day Night game between the Fighting Irish and Cardinals, mimicking their approach for Week 0. More info on ACC Network plans here



New Studio Teams Make Their Debut

Kickoff Week will also mark the first week of ESPN’s studio teams, which includes the debut of Mark Sanchez on ABC and Matt Barrie on ESPN. Kevin Connors will make his ESPN2 debut in Week 2.

All Games referenced are Saturday, August 31, unless noted

College Football Slate for ESPN’s Networks

WEEK 0

Date Time (ET) Matchup Network Sat, Aug 24 3 p.m. 2019 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff: Samford vs. Youngstown State

Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer, Lauren Sisler ESPN 7 p.m. 2019 Camping World Kickoff: Miami vs. No. 8 Florida from Orlando

Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor ESPN

Kickoff Week

Date Time (ET) Matchup Network Thu, Aug. 29 7 p.m. UCLA at Cincinnati

Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck, Pat McAfee, Molly McGrath ESPN Robert Morris at Buffalo ESPN+ Morgan State at Bowling Green ESPN3 Albany at Central Michigan ESPN3 Wagner at UConn ESPN3 7:30 p.m. Gardner-Webb at Charlotte ESPN+ Central Arkansas at Western Kentucky ESPN+ 8 p.m. Georgia Tech at No. 1 Clemson

Dave O’Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, Katie George ACC Network Alabama State at UAB ESPN+ Florida International at Tulane ESPN3 8:30 p.m. Texas State at. No. 12 Texas A&M

Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic SEC Network 10:15 p.m. No. 14 Utah at BYU

Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Kris Budden ESPN Fri, Aug. 30 7 p.m. No. 19 Wisconsin at South Florida

Dave Flemming, Louis Riddick, Paul Carcaterra ESPN 8 p.m. Utah State at Wake Forest

Kevin Brown, Andre Ware, Dr. Jerry Punch ACC Network 10 p.m. Colorado State vs. Colorado from Denver

Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer Lauren Sisler ESPN Sat, Aug. 31 Noon Ole Miss at Memphis

Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Olivia Dekker ABC South Alabama at Nebraska

Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman ESPN Mississippi State vs. Louisiana from New Orleans

Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia ESPNU East Carolina at NC State

Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Eric Wood ACC Network Toledo at Kentucky

Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang SEC Network 2 p.m. Rhode Island at Ohio ESPN+ 3 p.m. Bucknell at Temple ESPN3 3:30 p.m. 2019 Chick-fil-A Kickoff: Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama from Atlanta

Steve Levy, Brain Griese, Todd McShay, Molly McGrath ABC 2019 Belk Kickoff: South Carolina vs. North Carolina from Charlotte

Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Allison Williams ESPN Georgia State at Tennessee

Clay Matvick, Ryan Leaf, Stormy Buonantony ESPNU Colgate at Air Force ESPN3 East Tennessee State at Appalachian State ESPN+ Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina ESPN+ 4 p.m. Virginia Tech at Boston College

Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Kelsey Riggs ACC Network Portland State at Arkansas

Dave Neal, DJ Shockley, Dawn Davenport SEC Network 6 p.m. Syracuse at Liberty ESPN+ Campbell at Troy ESPN+ Incarnate Word at UTSA ESPN3 7 p.m. Boise State vs. Florida State from Jacksonville

Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill ESPN Stephen F. Austin at Baylor ESPN+ Nicholls at Kansas State ESPN+ SMU at Arkansas State ESPN+ Alcorn State at Southern Miss ESPN+ Illinois State at Northern Illinois ESPN+ Monmouth at Western Michigan ESPN3 Norfolk State at Old Dominion ESPN3 7:30 p.m. No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn from Arlington

Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor ABC Georgia Southern at No. 6 LSU

Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison, Ed Aschoff ESPNU Virginia at Pittsburgh

Adam Amin, Tim Hasselbeck, Katie George ACC Network No. 2 Georgia at Vanderbilt

Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic SEC Network Abilene Christian at North Texas ESPN+ 8 p.m. Louisiana Tech at No. 10 Texas

Lowell Galindo, Ahmad Brooks, and Taylor Davis Longhorn Network Houston Baptist at UTEP ESPN+ Grambling at Louisiana-Monroe ESPN3 10:30 p.m. Fresno State at USC

Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich ESPN Sun, Sept. 1 3 p.m. MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Bethune-Cookman vs. Jackson State from Atlanta Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Lericia Harris ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma

Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe ABC Mon, Sept. 2 8 p.m. No. 9 Notre Dame at Louisville Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor ESPN

Not all digital games are exclusive

-30-

Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [email protected] and @DerekVolner