ESPN has revealed the commentator teams for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP), which begins with the first-ever CFP First Round game on Friday, December 20.
The College Football Playoff begins with a First Round game on Friday, December 20, which will feature No. 7 Notre Dame hosting No. 10 Indiana on campus at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. The game will kickoff at 8:00pm ET on ABC and ESPN.
Below is more info from the ESPN release:
ESPN’s top commentary team of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will call a TV game in every round of the expanded CFP, including No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State, the first-ever quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game, and culminating with the National Championship. The trio will once again be joined by Molly McGrath for the title game. The Championship Game in Atlanta will be the 11th for Fowler and Herbstreit, who have called every CFP together since the event’s inception in 2015.
Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and McGrath will call a first round (No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame), quarterfinal (Allstate Sugar Bowl) and semifinal game on TV together, with reporters Laura Rutledge and Katie George each receiving a semifinal assignment yet to be determined.
The ESPN crews that will call the First Round matchups on TNT Sports include Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich – No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, and Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Taylor McGregor – No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas.
George will team up with her regular broadcast partners Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer for the Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, while Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick and Kris Budden round out the featured commentary teams with an assignment at the Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Below is the College Football Playoff Schedule for the 2024-25 season with ESPN commentator listings.
CFP FIRST ROUND GAMES
(10) Indiana at (7) Notre Dame
Friday, Dec. 20 | 8:00pm ET, ABC/ESPN
Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, IN
Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath
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(11) SMU at (6) Penn State
Saturday, Dec. 21 | Noon ET, TNT/Max
Beaver Stadium – University Park, PA
Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Quint Kessenich
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(12) Clemson at (5) Texas
Saturday, Dec. 21 | 4:00pm ET, TNT/Max
DKR – Texas Memorial Stadium – Austin, TX
Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor
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(9) Tennessee at (8) Ohio State
Saturday, Dec. 21 | 8:00pm ET, ABC/ESPN
Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
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CFP QUARTERFINALS
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
SMU/Penn State vs. (3) Boise State
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 | 7:30pm ET, ESPN
State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ
Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden
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Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Clemson/Texas vs. (4) Arizona State
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 | 1pm ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA
Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George
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Rose Bowl Game
Tennessee/Ohio State vs. (1) Oregon
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 | 5pm ET, ESPN
Rose Bowl Stadium – Pasadena, CA
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
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Allstate Sugar Bowl
Indiana/Notre Dame vs. (2) Georgia
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 | 8:45pm ET, ESPN
Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, LA
Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath
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CFP SEMIFINALS
Capital One Orange Bowl
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 | 7:30pm ET, ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL
Commentators TBD
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Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 | 7:30pm ET, ESPN
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Commentators TBD
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CFP National Championship
Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 | 7:30pm ET, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath
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Football Schedules
Printable Schedules
- 2024-25 Bowl Schedule (PDF w/helmets)
- 2024-25 Bowl Schedule (PDF; no images)
- College Football Playoff Bracket
Looking forward to TNT showing Penn State vs SMU.
ESPN’s last visit to Notre Dame was in 1990 (November 17, lost to #18 Penn State, 24-21 while ranked #1), while ABC’s last was in 1986 (November 15, also a loss to Penn State, 24-19; that Penn State team was ranked #3 entering the game at ND and went on to defeat the Miami Hurricanes for the national championship at the Fiesta Bowl, becoming the most recent top-level national champion from the Northeast, the region where college football was born).
You will be finding a Alabama Crimson Tide & Miami Hurricane Sweatshirt under your Christmas tree.
Now that’s information worth knowing. Thx for passing it along
ESPN has been back many times for Gameday, including the inaugural edition that preceded 1993’s iteration of the Game of the Century against FSU.
I’ll give you a free pass, Z-man, on all of ESPN’s visits for basketball, lacrosse, soccer et al.
And the first home game notre dame had on nbc was Indiana and now all these years later the first home game not on nbc is Indiana
Not sure if it was previously announced or denoted in the prior releases but this announcement all but assures the TNT broadcasts will be using the ESPN production including the CFP graphics packages. Somewhere I thought I had read that TNT would actually use their own personel.
Glad to see the Bob Wischusen-Louis Riddick crew get the chance to call a CFP game. A shame we didn’t get to see the ACCN/SECN #1 teams (Wes Durham, Tom Luginbill), (Tom Hart, Jordan) or the Dave Flemming-Brock Osweiler crews respectively have a chance to call any games during championship weekend or as part of the CFP.
Alternate broadcasts perhaps?
Agreeable Reverend.
@ Robert Nerenberg
I believe Jordan Pamler was involved in the altcast for the SEC championship, and may likely we will be for the CFP, especially if an SEC team is involved. But outside of him, I’ve not come across any details. Would presume for the aforementioned pxp broadcasters will be covering College Basketball instead if not designated for a primary CFP broadcast.
Have +approval of having Mark Jones, Roddy Jones & Quint Kessenich calling Penn State-SMU.
Go Penn State!!!