College Football on ABC is ABC’s long-running college football television package. It debuted in 1966 and remains one of the network’s flagship sports properties. Over the decades, it has televised games from many of the nation’s leading conferences and has become a regular destination for marquee Saturday matchups. Today, the package includes games from conferences such as the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and others through ESPN’s media rights agreements.
The broadcasts focus on regular-season games, conference championships, and selected postseason contests. ABC schedules nationally significant matchups throughout the season, especially during Saturday afternoons and evenings. The coverage also includes pregame features, halftime analysis, player interviews, and postgame reaction. Advanced statistics, replay technology, and on-field reporting add depth to each telecast.
The package has changed considerably since its debut. Early broadcasts featured a limited national schedule because of NCAA television restrictions. After those limits ended in the 1980s, ABC steadily expanded its coverage. Since ESPN became the exclusive producer of ABC Sports programming in 2006, the broadcasts have shared talent, production resources, and graphics with ESPN. In recent years, ABC has also increased the number of primetime games on its schedule.
The College Football on ABC broadcast team also features Chris Fowler as play-by-play announcer and Kirk Herbstreit as lead analyst. Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath regularly serve as sideline reporters on top assignments. ABC has also featured many respected broadcasters over the years, including Keith Jackson, Brent Musburger, Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Brad Nessler, and Sean McDonough.
