Football’s Top Commentators to Work ESPN’s Bowl Game Coverage

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Football’s Top Commentators to Work ESPN’s Bowl Game Coverage

ESPN’s extensive college football coverage will continue with 33 bowl games, highlighted by all five of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) matchups, including the Allstate BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET. It will mark the second straight year the entire BCS will be available on ESPN, ESPN3 and ESPN Radio.

ESPN 3D, the first 3D network to launch in the industry, will continue its extensive schedule of college football with exclusive 3D coverage of six bowl games, concluding with the Allstate BCS National Championship. The network televised the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Tostitos BCS National Championship last year.

Overall, ESPN will utilize a minimum of 64 on-air commentators to provide play-by-play, analysis and sideline reports for the network’s exclusive multiplatform coverage of the 33 bowl games. Highlights:

  • The Allstate BCS National Championship (Jan. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN 3D and ESPN Radio): For the second consecutive year Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will call ESPN’s telecast. ESPN’s Monday Night Football signal caller Mike Tirico will work ESPN Radio’s broadcast with ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge and reporter Holly Rowe.

It will mark Musburger’s and Herbstreit’s fifth consecutive BCS National Championship, the first two on ESPN Radio, followed by the BCS National Championship Game from the Rose Bowl on ABC two years ago and last season’s Championship from Glendale, Ariz. on ESPN.

  • Sean McDonough, Matt Millen and Heather Cox will work BCS bowls on consecutive days, calling the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on ESPN on Monday, Jan. 2, at 8:30 p.m. and ESPN Radio’s broadcast of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 8:30 p.m. They will also work the Insight Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30, at 10 p.m. on ESPN.
  • Musburger, Herbstreit and Andrews – the ESPN on ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Southwest Airlines announcers – will also call the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio on ESPN on Monday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m.
  • Tirico will be joined by Monday Night Football analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski on ESPN’s telecast of the Discover Orange Bowl with reporter Lisa Salters on Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 8:30 p.m. Tirico, Gruden and Salters will also work the Outback Bowl on ABC, Monday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. on ABC.
  • In addition to the Allstate BCS National Championship, Blackledge and Rowe will work ESPN’s coverage of the Allstate Sugar Bowl with their regular-season play-by-play partner Brad Nessler on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 8:30 p.m.
  • Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore, ESPN’s regular Friday night game announcers, will call ESPN Radio’s broadcast of the Discover Orange Bowl on Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 8:30 p.m.; ESPN’s telecast of the Capital One Bowl Monday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m.; and ESPN’s coverage of the Champs Sports Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 5:30 p.m.

Bowl Championship Series

Mon, Jan 2 5 p.m. Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio
ESPN: Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Erin Andrews
ESPN Radio: Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman & Tom Rinaldi
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  8:30 p.m. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
ESPN: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Heather Cox
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Tue, Jan 3 8:30 p.m. Allstate Sugar Bowl
ESPN: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe
ESPN Radio: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Heather Cox
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Wed, Jan 4 8:30 p.m. Discover Orange Bowl
ESPN: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski & Lisa Salters
ESPN Radio: Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Quint Kessenich
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Mon, Jan 9 8:30 p.m. Allstate BCS National Championship
ESPN: Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Erin Andrews & Tom Rinaldi
ESPN Radio: Mike Tirico, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN 3D / ESPN Radio

 Additional Postseason Bowl Games

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Sat, Dec 17 2 p.m. Gildan New Mexico Bowl
ESPN: Clay Matvick, Brian Griese & Jessica Mendoza
ESPN Radio: TBA, David Diaz-Infante & TBA
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  5:30 p.m. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
ESPN: Dave Flemming, Mike Bellotti & Heather Cox
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  9 p.m. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
ESPN: Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard & Shelley Smith
ESPN Radio: Adam Amin, Jay Walker & Ian Fitzsimmons
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN 3D/ ESPN Radio
Tue, Dec 20 8 p.m. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg
ESPN: Mike Patrick, Craig James & Jeannine Edwards
ESPN Radio: Rob Stone, Danny Kanell & TBA
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN 3D / ESPN Radio
Wed, Dec 21 8 p.m. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Lou Holtz, Mark May & TBA
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Thu, Dec 22 8 p.m. MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit & Tom Rinaldi
ESPN / ESPN3
Sat, Dec 24 8 p.m. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
ESPN: Mark Jones, Ed Cunningham & Jessica Mendoza
ESPN Radio: Marc Kestecher & Trevor Matich
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Mon, Dec 26 5 p.m. AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Rob Stone, Danny Kanell & Allison Williams
ESPN2 / ESPN3
Tue, Dec 27 4:30 p.m. Little Caesars Bowl
Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti & Eamon McAnaney
ESPN / ESPN3
  8 p.m. Belk Bowl
Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese & Shannon Spake
ESPN / ESPN3
Wed, Dec 28 4:30 p.m. Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
Pam Ward, Dan Hawkins & Jeannine Edwards
ESPN / ESPN3
  8 p.m. Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
ESPN: Rece Davis, Craig James, Jesse Palmer & Jenn Brown
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Thu, Dec 29 5:30 p.m. Champs Sports Bowl
ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Holly Rowe
ESPN Radio: Mike Gleason, John Congemi & TBA
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN 3D / ESPN Radio
  9 p.m. Valero Alamo Bowl
ESPN: Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman & Quint Kessenich
ESPN Radio: Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard & Eamon McAnaney
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Fri, Dec 30 Noon Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
ESPN: Dave Neal, Andre Ware & Cara Capuano
ESPN Radio: Adam Amin, Tim Brown & Ian Fitzsimmons
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  3:20 p.m. New Era Pinstripe Bowl
ESPN: Chris Fowler, Jesse Palmer & Tom Rinaldi
ESPN Radio: TBA
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  6:40 p.m. Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Mark Jones, Ed Cunningham & Jeannine Edwards
ESPN / ESPN3
  10 p.m. Insight Bowl
ESPN: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Heather Cox
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Sat, Dec 31 Noon Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
ESPN: Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese & Eamon McAnaney
ESPN Radio: Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti & TBA
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  3:30 p.m. AutoZone Liberty Bowl
ABC: Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley & Quint Kessenich
ESPN Radio: Pam Ward, Dan Hawkins & TBA
ABC / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
  3:30 p.m. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard & Shelley Smith
ESPN / ESPN3
  7:30 p.m. Chick-fil-A Bowl
ESPN: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe
ESPN Radio: Dave Neal, David Diaz-Infante & Cara Capuano
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN 3D / ESPN Radio
Mon, Jan 2 Noon TicketCity Bowl
Clay Matvick, Danny Kanell & Allison Williams
ESPNU / ESPN3
  1 p.m. Outback Bowl
ABC: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden & Lisa Salters
ESPN Radio: Bob Wischusen, John Congemi & Joey Galloway
ABC / ESPN Radio
  1 p.m. Capital One Bowl
ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore & Quint Kessenich
ESPN Radio: Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley & TBA
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN 3D / ESPN Radio
  1 p.m. TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl
Mike Patrick, Craig James & Jeannine Edwards
ESPN2 / ESPN3
Sat, Jan 7 1 p.m. BBVA Compass Bowl
ESPN: Mike Gleason, John Congemi & Eamon McAananey
ESPN Radio: Clay Matvick, Charles Arbuckle & Jessica Mendoza
ESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Radio
Sun, Jan 8 9 p.m. GoDaddy.com Bowl
Rob Stone, Danny Kanell & Cara Capuano
ESPN / ESPN3

As part of an extensive four-year agreement with the Bowl Championship Series that began last year, ESPN will provide exclusive worldwide television coverage, radio broadcasts, digital content and more for the five annual BCS games from January 2011 through January 2014. Last season was the first time ESPN televised BCS games while ESPN Radio has broadcast every BCS game since 2000.

ESPN’s coverage of last year’s BCS title game averaged 27,316,000 viewers and 17,718,000 households, making it the most watched program in the history of cable television.

The 2011 college football season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN 3D, ESPN3, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Regional Television and ESPN GamePlan totals more than 400 regular-and post-season games.

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