College Football Playoff Selection Day Studio Shows Reveal, Analyze and React to the First-Ever 12-Team CFP Bracket

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College Football Playoff Selection Day Studio Shows Reveal, Analyze and React to the First-Ever 12-Team CFP Bracket

ESPN platforms will dedicate Sunday’s slate of live studio coverage to College Football Playoff Selection Day, including the exclusive reveal of the first-ever 12-team playoff field during the College Football Playoff Selection Show Presented by AT&T at noon ET on Sunday, Dec. 8.

During the four-hour show on ESPN, the 12 College Football Playoff teams, the associated CFP bracket and the CFP selection committee’s final Top 25 rankings will be revealed. ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN.com, ESPN CFB YouTube and Facebook and the ESPN App will all feature additional playoff analysis, reaction and reporting.

College Football Playoff Selection Show Highlights:

  • College Football Playoff rankings and brackets to be revealed within the show’s first 30 minutes
  • Rece Davis returns to host for 11th consecutive year
  • Kirk HerbstreitJoey GallowayBooger McFarland and Greg McElroy join Davis again for the exclusive bracket and rankings reveal, with first-time addition of Nick Saban rounding out the group
  • Coaches and other guests are also expected to join
  • CFP insiders Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich will also join, with Dinich live from the CFP Selection Committee headquarters
  • ESPN will have reporters at top team sites across the country, including:
    • Alabama: Laura Rutledge
    • Georgia: Holly Rowe
    • Miami: Marty Smith
    • Oregon: Harry Lyles Jr.
    • Penn State: Jen Lada
    • SMU: Quint Kessenich
    • Texas: Kris Budden

*These assignments are subject to change. Additional assignments based on conference championship games may be added.

Post-Selection Reaction on ESPN
From 4-7 p.m., Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One will continue the discussion of the College Football Playoff and the entire bowl picture. Matt Barrie hosts with insight from Sam Acho, EJ Manuel, Trevor Matich, Roddy Jones, Paul Finebaum and Thamel. The first hour of the show will be available on ESPN and the final two hours will continue on ESPN2.

In primetime, the two-and-half hour special Championship Drive: Bowl Breakdown Presented by Capital One (8:30-11 p.m., ESPN) will feature host Kevin Connors joined by analysts Dan Mullen, Acho, Matich and Thamel.

Start Your Sunday Morning with CFP Analysis on SportsCenter and Championship Drive
A two-hour Championship Drive: Rankings Countdown Presented by Capital One airs at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 with Mullen, Finebaum, Thamel, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick joining host Kevin Negandhi. The 8 a.m. SportsCenter on ESPN2 will feature various college football commentators providing insight and analysis ahead of the rankings reveal, with CFB on-air personalities joining SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to close out the night.

ESPN’s Multi-Platform Selection Day Coverage includes:

  • Sunday NFL Countdown: The crew on the network’s popular NFL pregame show (10 a.m. – noon, ESPN) will be joined by Herbstreit at 11 a.m. to discuss the upcoming CFP reveal.
  • Rankings Reaction Presented by Allstate: Hosts Sam Ravech and Matt Simms joined by guests Trevor Matich and EJ Manuel will be reacting to the final CFP rankings at 1 p.m. The 30-minute digital show will stream live to ESPN’s College Football YouTube and Facebook accounts as well as the ESPN App.
  • Playoff Picture Presented by AT&T: Hosts Christine Williamson, Spencer Hall and Matt Simms will take a look at what a path to a National Championship would look like for a handful of teams in the bracket. The digital show will begin at 3 p.m. and will stream live to ESPN’s College Football YouTube and Facebook accounts as well as the ESPN App.
  • College Networks: Both SEC Network and ACC Network will offer bowl specials on Sunday previewing their conference’s postseason:
    • SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special
      Sunday night, following a full slate of Selection Day programming across ESPN platforms, Dari Nowkhah hosts SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special at 6 p.m., joined by Cole Cubelic, Chris Doering and Roman Harper in SEC Network’s Charlotte studios to highlight the SEC squads selected to the postseason.
    • ACC Huddle: CFP & Bowl Selection Special
      Taylor Tannebaum, Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel, Mark Richt
      and Eddie Royal will reunite on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m., for a two-hour ACC Huddle: CFP & Bowl Selection Special. The analysts will react to the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket and highlight the ACC’s 13 bowl-eligible teams with analysis and insight.
  • ESPN.com: Comprehensive news and analysis throughout Selection Day, breaking down the playoff field and bowl matchups, including:
    • Heather Dinich will report from the CFP Selection Committee headquarters.
    • Bill Connelly breaks down how all 12 playoff teams can win the national title for ESPN+.
    • Reporters break down the first round of the playoff with a first look at all four matchups, as well as provide instant bracket picks, from the first round to the title game.
    • Later in the week, ESPN.com will also publish Connelly’s updated annual list by ranking all 52 teams to make the College Football Playoff.

Inaugural CFP Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T
For the first time ever, the College Football Playoff Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T will give fans the chance to compete with friends, family and others by filling out CFP brackets as part of the expanded Playoff. Fans who pick the National Champion will be automatically entered into a random drawing to win $50,000 in total prizes. The College Football Playoff Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T is open now on ESPN.comESPN App, and ESPN Fantasy App. Fans can complete and enter brackets until shortly before the First Round kicks off on Dec. 20.

College Football Playoff Selection Day Schedule – Sunday, Dec. 8

Time (ET) Programming CFB On-Air Personalities^ Platform
8 a.m. SportsCenter* Commentators: Matich, Riddick, Harper, Finebaum ESPN2
10 a.m. Championship Drive: Rankings Countdown Presented by Capital One Host: Negandhi
Commentators: Mullen, Orlovsky, Riddick, Thamel, Finebaum
ESPN2/ESPNU
Noon College Football Playoff Selection Show Presented by AT&T Host: Davis
Commentators: Galloway, McElroy, McFarland, Saban, Herbstreit
ESPN
1 p.m. Rankings Reaction Presented by Allstate Hosts: Ravech, Simms
Commentators: Matich, Manuel
ESPN CFB YouTube/
Facebook/ESPN App
3 p.m. Playoff Picture Presented by AT&T Hosts: Williamson, Hall, Simms ESPN CFB YouTube/
Facebook/ESPN App
4 p.m. Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One Host: Barrie
Commentators: Acho, Manuel, Matich, R. Jones, Thamel, Finebaum
ESPN
5 p.m. Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One Host: Barrie
Commentators: Acho, Manuel, Matich, R. Jones, Thamel, Finebaum
ESPN2
6 p.m. SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special Host: Nowkhah
Commentators: Cubelic, Doering, Harper
SEC Network
8 p.m. ACC Huddle: CFP & Bowl Selection Special Host: Tannebaum
Commentators: Mac Lain, Manuel, Richt, Royal
ACC Network
8:30 p.m. Championship Drive: Bowl Breakdown Presented by Capital One Host: Connors
Commentators: Acho, Matich, R. Jones, Thamel, Finebaum
ESPN

* Segments dedicated to CFP discussion
^ Scheduled commentators subject to change

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Julie McKay

I joined ESPN in 2022 as a member of the communications department working on college sports. My passion for college sports came at an early age in a divided household (Big Ten Conference-divided, that is) and followed that to the University of Wisconsin-Madison (sorry, Dad). Four years in the Athletic Communications Department, along with internships with the Big Ten Conference, Big Ten Network and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, cemented my career path. After spending some time in sports media PR in San Francisco, I’ve spent five-plus years focused in golf, with stints at the American Junior Golf Association, Augusta National and Buffalo Agency, working with the USGA, Youth on Course and Destination Kohler, among others. Despite being a proud Wisconsin native, I’ll forever betray my home state as a lifelong Chicago sports fan. My dog Rizzo knows there’s always next year and wishes his namesake would return home to the North Side.
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