ESPN Set for Extensive On-Site Studio Coverage in Los Angeles Surrounding the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T
Over 30 hours of live studio programming to watch and analyze the CFP College National Championship Game Day built by The Home Depot among many studio shows originating from SoFi Stadium special guests to include the coach of the seven national champion times, Nick Saban, Ryan Day, Lincoln Riley and Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford
ESPN’s expanded studio programming surrounding the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T begins this weekend leading up to the matchup between TCU and Georgia on Monday, January 9th. ESPN platforms will feature more than 30 hours of on-site analysis and exclusive live access from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles throughout the weekend as the Bulldogs and Horned Frogs prepare for the season finale. Monday’s championship studio coverage begins at 5 a.m. ET and will continue after the trophy is raised with nearly 20 hours of coverage throughout the day.
College GameDay Live from the CFP National Championship
ESPN’s premiere pregame show College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will be live from Los Angeles before the big game from 5 – 7:30pm on Championship Monday. Rece Davis hosts the show in his eighth season as host and is joined at the table by GameDay analysts Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Pat McAfee and Georgia great David Pollack. Reporters Jen Lada, Gene Wojciechowski and Jess Sims, along with college football insider Pete Thamel, round out the GameDay crew for the Championship edition of the show live inside SoFi Stadium.
Robert Griffin III and Tim Tebow will join the GameDay crew along with seven-time National Championship coach Nick Saban (Alabama), while other special guests will include Ryan Day (Ohio State), Lincoln Riley ( USC) and the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford, former Georgia All-American quarterback.
Around the clock coverage on Monday of the championship
Monday’s extensive studio coverage begins with segments on ABC’s Good Morning America as well as ESPN’s Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter before College Football Live with Wendi Nix, Matt Barrie, Joe Tessitore and other analysts of ESPN and college football insiders.
Barrie and Kevin Negandhi join for two hours on Championship Drive (2:30 p.m., ESPN) live from Los Angeles featuring Jesse Palmer, Dan Mullen, “Stanford Steve” Coughlin, as well as Tessitore, Davis, Pollack, Tebow, Galloway , Griffin III and Saban on the show. College Game Day begins at 5:00 PM ET hosted by Rece Davis heading into the Championship game. Davis returns at halftime along with Desmond Howard and Georgia legend David Pollack.
ESPN’s flagship broadcast will lead the MegaCast signature production with 12 different presentations of the CFP National Championship Game on ESPN platforms. Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show Presented by Mercedes-Benz, which debuted during the semifinals, returns to the National Championships on ESPN2 anchored by Pat McAfee.
Multi-network weekend coverage
ESPN’s on-field studio coverage began with multi-network programming surrounding Media Days at noon ET on Saturday, January 7. Barrie hosted keynote coverage on ESPNEWS, joined by Greg McElroy, Sam Acho, Harry Douglas, Molly McGrath and Holly Rowe. Negandhi will join the ESPN team live from LA hosting SportsCenter segments live from SoFi throughout the weekend.
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will continue the Championship previews during the first half of ESPN’s Saturday NFL doubleheader, with Davis, Howard and Pollack contributing to Sunday’s NFL Countdown. The Road to the College Football Playoff Presented by AT&T 5G continues at 1pm on ABC with Tessitore, Sam Acho and Greg McElroy diving into triumphant seasons from the Bulldogs and Horned Frogs.
The Road to the College Football Playoff Presented by AT&T 5G begins at 1pm on ABC with Tessitore, Sam Acho and Greg McElroy diving into triumphant seasons from the Bulldogs and Horned Frogs before Barrie returns Sunday during halftime of the FCS National Championship game on ABC (2 p.m.). The day closes with Barrie on the Championship Drive joined by a number of ESPN personalities, including McElroy, Galloway, Acho and Todd McShay.
Features of the championship
Stetson And Tebow – SEC Network’s Tim Tebow sits down with Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, who talks about playing your best when the moment is greatest, what he learned from last year’s Championship Game and why he had a “Ricky Bobby moment ” while watching the last second field goal attempt in the Peach Bowl. Impossible Road – It was hardly a recipe for success: a new coach and staff, a team sporting a 5-7 record, a starting quarterback who would lose his job during fall camp. And yet, the underrated and overlooked TCU Horned Frogs have made the jump to the National Championship game impossible, if not nearly impossible. (Reporter: Gene Wojciechowski) The Quest to Repeat – There’s a reason so few teams are able to repeat as champions – it’s really hard! With Georgia just one game away from back-to-back titles, we hear from some of the greats who have had success and failure in their comeback attempts. Sonny and Spike – TCU’s Sonny Dykes tried to convince himself that he wanted to do something…anything but follow in the footsteps of his father, West Texas coaching legend Spike Dykes. But deep down he knew he wanted to join the family coaching business and emulate the man who never got a chance to see this improbable and magical TCU season. (Wojciechowski) Victory in LA – Like a sea that accepts every river, Los Angeles welcomes everyone with a dream and a destiny to become a champion. Chris Connelly shares why the stars shine brightest in LA and why winning a championship there just hits differently. Punting With a Purpose – Jordy Sandy is TCU’s Australian punter, and his contributions to his new home in Fort Worth go beyond the field. While interning in the Horned Frogs Communications Department last summer, he formed a unique bond with TCU associate AD Mark Cohen. This season, the two men have teamed up to raise awareness and funds for the Autism community. (Jen Lada) Tre’Vius Hodges–Tomlinson – TCU defensive back and Jim Thorpe Award winner shares how influential his uncle, Hall of Famer and TCU legend LaDainian Tomlinson, has been throughout his career and that as he continues to follow in his famous footsteps. . Nothing else matters – It’s not about the conference lead, or what Vegas thinks, or the David vs. Goliath assumption. Monday will be about two talented and hungry teams playing 60 minutes for a chance to remember a lifetime. (Wright Thompson)
SEC Network
The SEC Network will be live from Southern California with comprehensive coverage of the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T as Georgia looks to defend its title. A variety of SEC Network shows featuring the network’s top talent will come from multiple sites in Los Angeles, including SEC Now, Marty & McGee, SEC Nation, The Paul Finebaum Show and SEC Football Final. The details
ESPN Digital and Social
The College Football Playoff National Championship Countdown returns as one of the many digital shows surrounding ESPN’s postseason coverage with Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr. joined by Jason Fitz, Skubie Mageza and special guest Andrew Hawkins as fans prepare for the National Championship game with guests, interviews and exclusive pre-game access. The hour-long show, live from SoFi Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, January 9, is available on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the ESPN app.
ESPN+ Offers Inside College Football Playoff Exclusives
To give fans a unique, up-close look at the College Football Playoff, ESPN+ will exclusively air four episodes of Inside the College Football Playoff, featuring Georgia, TCU, Michigan and Ohio State, while the programs College football’s elite battle it out for the ultimate prize. Each of this year’s episodes is narrated by College GameDay’s Jess Sims. Episodes 1 and 2 are available to watch now. Episode 3 will be available on January 7, while next week’s final episode will recap the National Championships. Hours:
Episode 1 – December 24: Go behind the scenes as top-ranked Georgia hopes to turn practice into perfect when it takes on Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, while Jim Harbaugh prepares Michigan for battle in the Fiesta Bowl against an overlooked TCU team. Episode 2 – January 4: Relive all the drama of the College Football Playoff semifinal games with exclusive access both on and off the field. Episode 3 – January 7: Two left. TCU and Georgia may look like David and Goliath, but each team shares a similar story: a coach with a distinctive defensive scheme and an overlooked quarterback who would become a Heisman finalist. Episode 4 – January 14: A king is crowned for the 2022-23 college football season. Exclusive game access reveals never-before-seen moments during the big game. Date Time (ET) Local Programming Platform Sat, Jan 7 pm CFP Media Day ESPNEWS SEC Now: Media Day SEC Network 3pm CFP Preview During NFL Countdown NFL Halftime Show ESPN Sun, 8 January 10:00am CFP Preview Over NFL Countdown Halftime Show ESPN Noon SEC Now: Coaches Press Conference Show SEC Network 1:00pm Road to the College Football Playoff Presented by AT&T 5G: TCU ABC 1:30pm Road to the College Football Playoff Presented by AT&T 5G: Georgia FCS Championship Halftime ABC (Game begins at 2:00pm ET) ABC 8:00pm Championship Run: Countdown to kickoff Presented by AT&T 5G ESPN Mon, Jan 9 1:00pm College Football Live Built by The Home Depot ESPN 2:00pm Marty & McGee Presented by Old Trapper SEC Network 2:30pm Championship Drive Presented by Mercedes-Benz ESPN 3:00pm The Show of Paul Finebaum Presented by Regions St SEC Life 5pm College Game Day Built by The Home Depot ESPN 6pm SEC Nation Presented by Dr Pepper SEC Network 6:30pm Countdown to the CFP Championship ESPN 7pm Ram Trucks Coll ege Football Pregame ESPN 7:30 pm College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T ESPN 7:30 pm Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show Presented by Mercedes-Benz ESPN2 Postgame Ram Trucks Postgame ESPN Postgame College Football Final ESPN2 Postgame SEC Football Final Network Sports Academy + Outdoors SEC
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Media contacts:
ESPN CFB: Amanda Brooks at 704-973-5042; [email protected] & @BrooksAD
College Game Day: Julie McKay at 860-766-4416; [email protected] & @McKay_Julie
