Gilmore & Kanell in New Roles; Herbstreit, Musburger, Blackledge, Palmer, Spielman, Nessler, McDonough, Griese, Cunningham and More Return

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ESPN’s 2013 college football game coverage will include the return of a deep roster of knowledgeable and experienced commentators working familiar assignments across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio and ESPN Regional Television.

Assignment changes are highlighted by analysts Rod Gilmore and Danny Kanell in new roles. Gilmore will move from ESPN’s weekly Friday night series to Saturday afternoon matchups on ABC and ESPN with Bob Wischusen and reporter Quint Kessenich. Kanell, who called Saturday telecasts last season, will move to Fridays with returning commentator Carter Blackburn and reporter Allison Williams, who joins the crew from her ESPNU Saturday night game last season. In addition, analyst Kelly Stouffer, who worked select games last year, will join Anish Shroff on the weekly ESPNU Saturday afternoon telecasts.

Highlights:

• All four Saturday prime-time telecasts on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will feature the return of the play-by-play and analyst pairing.
  • Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit will work their eighth season together – and second with reporter Heather Cox – on the ABC Saturday Night Football series, the highest-rated and most-viewed college football series among all networks in 2012.
  • Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge will work their fifth season together on the Saturday ESPN College Football Primetime telecast while reporter Holly Rowe returns for her fourth on the series.
  • Mark Jones and Brock Huard will pair up on the weekly ESPN2 prime-time game for the second consecutive season. Jessica Mendoza and Kaylee Hartung will split reporting duties.
  • Clay Matvick and Matt Stinchcomb will return for their second year on the ESPNU prime-time game with reporter Dawn Davenport, her first with ESPN.
• The Thursday ESPN College Football Primetime series will be called by commentator Rece Davis, analysts Jesse Palmer and David Pollack, and reporter Samantha Ponder for the second season.
• Several reporters will join existing commentator and analyst pairings, including:
  • Maria Taylor, who will move from a Saturday afternoon ABC telecast, will join Joe Tessitore and Matt Millen on the second season of an additional package of Saturday night games, primarily on ESPN.
  • Shannon Spake, who will work a full season of college football games for the first time, will pair with Sean McDonough and Chris Spielman on an ABC Saturday afternoon telecast.
  • Paul Carcaterra will join Beth Mowins and analyst Joey Galloway on ESPN2’s weekly noon series.
• Tom Luginbill, who also provides in-depth recruiting analysis across ESPN platforms, will serve as a sideline analyst on ESPN’s noon telecast with the returning duo of Dave Pasch and Brian Griese.

ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio & ESPN Regional Television Announcer Pairings
Note: Additional commentators will contribute throughout the season.

The 2013 college football season on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Regional Television and ESPN GamePlan will total more than 450 regular-and post-season games, concluding with the entire Bowl Championship Series, including the VIZIO BCS National Championship, on ESPN and ESPN Radio. The schedule will include weekly Saturday night games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, weekly ESPN and ESPNU Thursday night contests and telecasts every Friday.

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