Full Thanksgiving Plates Meet Packed Programming Slates: ESPN Platforms Present College Football’s Most Celebrated Showdowns for Rivalry Week

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Full Thanksgiving Plates Meet Packed Programming Slates: ESPN Platforms Present College Football’s Most Celebrated Showdowns for Rivalry Week

Some of college football’s greatest feuds will be featured across ESPN platforms in Week 13, as Rivalry Week and Thanksgiving collide to bring football fans a full helping of high-octane showdowns and some of the sport’s richest rivalries throughout the holiday week. Rivalry Week presented by the Mazda CX-90 is part of ESPN’s expansive Thanksgiving lineup, which includes more than 50 matchups across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+ and ESPN Radio.

One of the most-anticipated rivalry games is the annual Sunshine Showdown, as No. 4 Florida State heads east on I-10 to take on in-state foe Florida at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Radio. ESPN’s lead commentary team of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe have the primetime ESPN call to close out the regular season, with ESPN Radio’s top college football crew of Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer and Ian Fitzsimmons on the broadcast. The Seminoles/Gators showcase is this week’s 4K Game of the Week.

A bit of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is on the menu for ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One, as No. 1 Georgia takes on Georgia Tech at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and Molly McGrath are set to call the bitter rivalry battle, as the top-ranked Dawgs look to extend their win streak in the series to six.

An ABC tripleheader is set for Black Friday viewing, including No. 7 Texas playing host to in-state adversary Texas Tech in primetime. Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill team up for the Big 12 battle at 7:30 p.m., with a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game on the line for Texas. Earlier in the day, No. 24 Tulane and UTSA clash for a clinching spot in the American Championship Game at 3:30 p.m., with Clay Matvick, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler providing commentary. At noon, Miami hits the road for ACC action against Boston College. Matt Barrie, Dan Mullen and Harry Lyles Jr. are set for the broadcast call.

The 120th meeting of the Egg Bowl between No. 13 Ole Miss and Mississippi State kicks off ranked action across ESPN platforms on Thanksgiving night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic are on the mic for the Magnolia State matchup.

Saturday features a full serving of storied showdowns, starting with The Governor’s Cup at noon on ABC. Kentucky and No. 10 Louisville line up from Cardinal Stadium with Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer in the booth, and Louisville native and Cardinals volleyball standout Katie George on the call. At 3:30 p.m., No. 23 Oklahoma State stares down Big 12 foe BYU with Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra providing commentary.

ESPN documents a duo of ranked rivalry games Saturday, kicking off with No. 15 LSU welcoming SEC West rival Texas A&M at noon. The Aggies/Tigers tussle is set for ESPN and ESPN Radio, with a Command Center offering on SEC Network. Bob Wischusen, Robert Griffin III and Kris Budden have the telecast call, with Mike Couzens, Max Starks and Mike Peasley teaming up in the ESPN Radio broadcast booth. The 97th Duel in the Desert is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, as Mark Jones, Louis Riddick and Quint Kessenich are on deck to announce the bitter battle for the Territorial Cup. ESPN also features Pac-12 After Dark action with California on the road at UCLA. The regular ESPN late night trio of Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler and Kayla Burton are set for the all-California call at 10:30 p.m.

ESPN2 features a new Big 12 rivalry between No. 25 Kansas and Cincinnati. The teams have only played twice before, splitting matchups in 1995 and 1997. John Schriffen, Rocky Boiman and Dawn Davenport are on the mic for this ESPN2 Saturday showdown.

ESPN’s college networks present a pair of in-state showcases featuring Top 25 squads Saturday. At 3:30 p.m., Dave Neal, former Commodore head coach Derek Mason and Taylor Davis commentate the faceoff featuring Vanderbilt at No. 18 Tennessee on SEC Network. In primetime on ACC Network, No. 20 North Carolina looks to crash the Senior Day festivities at Carter-Finley Stadium as the Tar Heels take on NC State at 8 p.m. Wes Durham, Tim Hasselbeck and Taylor Tannebaum are set for the ACCN call.

Additional Programming Highlights
Saturday

  • Navy at SMU – Noon, ESPN2
    • Commentators: Roy Philpott, Roddy Jones, Taylor McGregor
    • Of note: SMU clinches a spot in the American Championship Game with a win
  • James Madison at Coastal Carolina – 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
    • Commentators: Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony
    • Of note: Coastal Carolina clinches a spot in the Sun Belt Championship Game with a win or an Appalachian State loss
  • Georgia Southern at Appalachian State – 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
    • Commentators: Courtney Lyle, Hutson Mason
    • Of note: Appalachian State clinches a spot in the Sun Belt Championship Game with a win and a Coastal Carolina loss
  • Virginia Tech at Virginia – 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
    • Commentators: Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Sherree Burruss
  • Clemson at South Carolina – 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
    • Commentators: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang

“Best Story Wins” Starts New Chapter of “The Greatest Story Ever Played”
ESPN recently launched the latest installment of its College Football on ESPN brand platform, “The Greatest Story Ever Played,” with a spot building excitement and anticipation for the upcoming College Football Playoff. The new work, “Best Story Wins,” positions College Football Playoff contenders as individual stories all competing to be one of the four teams selected to make the College Football Playoff. Every “story” is worthy and compelling, so may the best story win.

Road to Frisco Featured on ESPN+
The 2023 FCS playoffs kick off this Saturday with the start of first round action on ESPN+. Postseason play begins at 1 p.m. and rolls through the evening with eight games set for streaming. Full ESPN+ schedule.

For updates to programming schedules and game assignments, please visit ESPNPressRoom.com. All rankings utilized are from the Nov. 14 edition of the College Football Playoff Top 25, unless otherwise noted.

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Platform
Tue, Nov 21 7 p.m. Bowling Green at Western Michigan
Connor Onion, Aaron Murray
ESPNU
  7:30 p.m. Eastern Michigan at Buffalo
Matt Schick, Dustin Fox
ESPN2
Thu, Nov 23 7:30 p.m. No. 13 Ole Miss at Mississippi State
Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
ESPN
Fri, Nov 24 Noon Miami at Boston College
Matt Barrie, Dan Mullen, Harry Lyles Jr.
ABC
Noon Memphis at Temple
Jay Alter, Rene Ingoglia, Ashley Stroehlein
ESPN
  Noon Toledo at Central Michigan
Shawn Kenney, Craig Haubert
ESPNU
  3:30 p.m. UTSA at No. 24 Tulane
Clay Matvick, Rod Gilmore, Lauren Sisler
ABC
  7:30 p.m. Texas Tech at No. 7 Texas
Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Tom Luginbill
ABC
Sat, Nov 25 Noon Kentucky at No. 10 Louisville
Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George
ABC
  Noon Texas A&M at No. 15 LSU
TV: Bob Wischusen, Robert Griffin III, Kris Budden
Radio: Mike Couzens, Max Starks, Mike Peasley
ESPN/ESPN Radio/SEC Network
  Noon Navy at SMU
Roy Philpott, Roddy Jones, Taylor McGregor
ESPN2
  Noon Troy at Southern Miss
Mike Corey, Barrett Brooks
ESPNU
  Noon Pittsburgh at Duke
Jorge Sedano, Orlando Franklin, Marilyn Payne
ACC Network
  Noon Northern Illinois at Kent State
David Wilson, Ryan Cavanaugh
ESPN+
  Noon UConn at UMass ESPN+
  Noon Middle Tennessee at Sam Houston ESPN+
  1 p.m. Florida Atlantic at Rice
Richard Cross, Leger Douzable, Smacker Miles
ESPN+
  1 p.m. FCS First Round: FCS No. 16 Sacramento State at FCS No. 14 North Dakota
David Saltzman, Jay Walker
ESPN+
  2 p.m. Tulsa at East Carolina
James Westling, Reggie Walker
ESPN+
  2 p.m. UAB at North Texas
Ted Emrich, LaDarrin McLane
ESPN+
  2 p.m. Georgia State at Old Dominion ESPN+
  2 p.m. FCS First Round: FCS No. 13 North Carolina Central at No. 25 Richmond
Nate Gatter, Adam Breneman
ESPN+
  2 p.m. FCS First Round: FCS No. 18 Lafayette at FCS No. 12 Delaware
Robert Lee, Jordan Reid
ESPN+
  3 p.m. Western Kentucky at Florida International ESPN+
  3 p.m. UL Monroe at Louisiana ESPN+
  3 p.m. FCS First Round: Gardner-Webb at FCS No. 20 Mercer
Jack Benjamin, Forrest Conoly
ESPN+
  3 p.m. FCS First Round: Nicholls at FCS No. 17 Southern Illinois
Jim Barbar, Doc Holiday
ESPN+
  3 p.m. FCS First Round: FCS No. 19 Chattanooga at FCS No. 10 Austin Peay
Dan Gutowsky, Patrick Murray
ESPN+
  3:30 p.m. BYU at No. 23 Oklahoma State
Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra
ABC
  3:30 p.m. No. 17 Arizona at Arizona State
Mark Jones, Louis Riddick, Quint Kessenich
ESPN
  3:30 p.m. James Madison at Coastal Carolina
Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony
ESPN2
  3:30 p.m. Georgia Southern at Appalachian State
Courtney Lyle, Hutson Mason
ESPNU
  3:30 p.m. Vanderbilt at No. 18 Tennessee
Dave Neal, Derek Mason, Taylor Davis
SEC Network
  3:30 p.m. Virginia Tech at Virginia
Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Sherree Burruss
ACC Network
  3:30 p.m. Arkansas State at Marshall ESPN+
  3:30 p.m. FCS First Round: Drake at No. 7 North Dakota State
Noah Reed, Charles Arbuckle
ESPN+
  4 p.m. Jacksonville State at New Mexico State ESPN+
  5 p.m. FCS First Round: Duquesne at FCS No. 23 Youngstown State
Anthony Lima, Marcus Ray
ESPN+
  7 p.m. No. 4 Florida State at Florida
TV: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
Radio: Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, Ian Fitzsimmons
ESPN/ESPN Radio
  7:30 p.m. No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech
Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath
ABC
  7:30 p.m. No. 25 Kansas at Cincinnati
John Schriffen, Rocky Boiman, Dawn Davenport
ESPN2
  7:30 p.m. Charlotte at South Florida
Drew Carter, Dustin Fox
ESPNU
  7:30 p.m. Clemson at South Carolina
Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang
SEC Network
  8 p.m. No. 20 North Carolina at NC State
Wes Durham, Tim Hasselbeck, Taylor Tannebaum
ACC Network
  10:30 p.m. California at UCLA
Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler, Kayla Burton
ESPN

 

Amanda Brooks

Amanda is the Director of Communications for ESPN College Football, SEC Network and Longhorn Network, and oversees publicity for college gymnastics and track & field across all ESPN platforms. Amanda is a proud alum of Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., and earned her master's in ethics from Vanderbilt University. A native of Kent, Ohio, she is a die-hard Cleveland Guardians fan.
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