The coverage teams for ESPN’s College GameDay and Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff for the 2025 college football season are:
🏈ESPN College GameDay Coverage Team (2025)
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Host: Rece Davis, who continues to lead the show in his 10th season as host. He signed a new seven-year deal with ESPN, rejecting an offer from Fox to join Big Noon Kickoff. Analysts:
- Lee Corso, a long-time staple of the show, known for his headgear picks and veteran presence.
- Kirk Herbstreit, a prominent college football analyst providing in-depth game analysis.
- Desmond Howard, a Heisman Trophy winner and former Michigan star, offering player perspectives.
- Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter and dynamic media personality, who joined in 2022 and brings high energy despite mixed fan reactions (37.7% like him, 42.5% don’t, per a 2024 survey).
- Nick Saban, a College Football Hall of Fame honoree and former Alabama coach, who has been a major hit with 79.6% fan approval in 2024
Host: Rob Stone, who has been with the show since its debut in 2019 and guides the program’s transition from broad college football discussion to the featured game. Analysts:
- Matt Leinart, a 2004 Heisman Trophy winner and former USC quarterback, providing player insights.
- Mark Ingram II, a 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and former Alabama running back, offering analysis.
- Brady Quinn, a former Notre Dame quarterback, noted as the most comfortable on-air panelist in the show’s early years.
- Urban Meyer, a former national championship coach at Florida and Ohio State, known for segments like “Urban’s Playbook,” where he breaks down plays.
- Dave Portnoy, Barstool Sports founder and a Michigan alum, added in 2025 to bring a bold, outspoken presence and counter ESPN’s SEC-heavy narrative, particularly in College Football Playoff discussions.
- Contributors:Bruce Feldman, Fox’s college football insider, delivering news and analysis.
- Tom Verducci (typically a baseball analyst) and Tom Rinaldi, contributing feature reports.
- Clay Travis, a radio host, occasionally contributing to the show.
- Dan Katz (“Big Cat” from Barstool Sports), expected to make appearances as part of the new Fox-Barstool partnership.
Big Noon Kickoff, launched in 2019, focuses primarily on Big Ten and Big 12 games, with a strong emphasis on the noon ET window, which has been the most-watched college football window in three of the past four seasons. The show averaged 1.02 million viewers in 2023, with the 11 a.m. hour reaching 1.4 million. The addition of Portnoy aims to boost ratings and compete more directly with College GameDay’s star power. The show travels weekly to game sites, often tied to Fox’s broadcast, and has been criticized for prioritizing Fox games over the sport’s biggest matchups.