Donovan McNabb and Domonique Foxworth among debuts

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 3, ESPN Radio will roll out a new fall weekend lineup with a focus on the 2016 college football and NFL seasons featuring some of the most experienced and knowledgeable voices in the game. Two new programs will be added, including the three-hour McNabb & Custer, hosted by former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb and veteran Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Brian Custer, premiering Sunday, Sept. 11, at 10 p.m. ET, or immediately following Sunday Night Baseball. The lineup will be in place until the end of the football season.

“Without question, the biggest names in sports talking football will be on ESPN Radio all weekend,” said David Roberts, vice president, ESPN Audio network content. “Fans can expect the most comprehensive information, from an array of diverse voices who will always be willing to provide a provocative, informed point of view on America’s number one sport. We are looking forward to serving the sports fans anytime and anywhere across the audio platforms this fall.”

Louise Cornetta, ESPN Radio program director II, added: “The Fall means football. The goal is to give our fans the most comprehensive and entertaining coverage for College Football on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays. The new weekend lineup will provide our listeners with something for everyone to enjoy.”

During the football season, espnW presents: The Trifecta with Spain, Jane & Kate will take a break, however each host – Sarah Spain, Jane McManus and Kate Fagan — will play an integral role in the weekend schedule. Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain, hosted by The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz’s Jon “Stugotz” Weiner and Spain, will debut. The show will cover the day’s NFL headlines while injecting playful banter between the two hosts who frequently appear together on The Dan Le Batard Show. McManus will co-host Sunday’s Operation Football alongside Randy Scott and Field Yates, and Fagan will continue hosting Will & Kate with Will Cain.

On Sundays, Domonique Foxworth, a former NFL cornerback and current contributor to The Undefeated, will pair with ESPN Chicago 1000’s Jonathan Hood on NFL Nation, wrapping up the day’s NFL action and featuring ESPN NFL Nation writers who were at the biggest games.

ESPN Radio’s Saturday schedule will focus on college football beginning with:

• Dari & Mel, a year-round program hosted by SEC Network anchor Dari Nowkhah and ESPN NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr., kicking off the mornings at 7 a.m. for three hours.
• Following that, a three-hour simulcast of television’s ESPN’s College GameDay (10 a.m. – Noon) and ESPN Radio’s College GameDay (Noon – 7 p.m.) will provide listeners with previews, news and analysis from around college football and lead into the College Football Game of the Week on most Saturdays. ESPN Radio’s College GameDay returns hosts Doug Kezirian, Brad Edwards and Trevor Matich, with Maria Taylor, Joey Galloway, Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich as weekly contributors.
• Capping off the day, Will & Kate – hosted by Will Cain and Kate Fagan – will air 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.
• Robin Lundberg will continue to host The Robin Lundberg Show on select Saturdays (11 p.m. – 1 a.m.) this fall.

Sundays on ESPN Radio will be NFL-centric, kicking off the day with Weekend Observations with Stu & Spain (7 – 9 a.m.) Additional highlights:

• Fantasy Focus (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) returns, hosted by ESPN New York 98.7FM’s Dave Rothenberg, Mike Golic Jr. and Fantasy expert Eric Karabell, with weekly contributor Stephania Bell. Focus will offer listeners last-minute lineup suggestions, injury updates and analysis of who is having the best season at each position.
• Max & The Coach, with Tom Waddle (1 – 4 p.m.), hosted by ESPN studio hosts Max Bretos and Jonathan Coachman with ESPN Chicago 1000 voice and ESPN NFL analyst Tom Waddle will keep listeners up-to-date on all of the early NFL games.
• Operation Football (4 – 7 p.m.) – returns for its second year, hosted by ESPN anchor Randy Scott, Jane McManus and Field Yates, and will recap the earlier NFL games with live player and coach post-game interviews, updating the current ones and keeping tabs on the fantasy front.

McNabb joins ESPN Radio having played thirteen seasons as an NFL quarterback for three different teams – the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. Drafted second overall by the Eagles in the 1999 NFL Draft, McNabb was named to six Pro Bowls during his extensive career, and garnered an NFC Offensive Player of the Year honor as well as the NFC Player of the Year accolade in 2004. That same year, he led the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX. He has previously worked as a television game analyst for the NFL Network and Fox Sports, as well as a studio analyst for FS1.

Foxworth is a former NFL cornerback who played for three teams – the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens. In 2012, he became one of the youngest players to be elected president of the NFLPA. He was drafted 97th in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Broncos. Throughout his professional career, Foxworth was involved in charitable projects in the community. In Denver, he took a leadership role working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to fund raise and plan the creation of the Darrent Williams Memorial Center – a center named in honor of his murdered Broncos teammate to provide scholastic retreat for teens. In 2010, the Baltimore Sun presented Foxworth with its first Tim Wheatley Award for community service for the Baltimore BORN initiative designed to provide lower income boys in local high schools with resources and networking opportunities. After retiring from professional football, Foxworth attended and was graduated from Harvard Business School (2013-15). In 2014, the NBA’s Players Association executive director Michele Roberts named Foxworth the Chief Operating Officer of the NBAPA.

Custer has served as a boxing host and commentator as the main host of Showtime Championship Boxing on Showtime Networks and also calls boxing play-by-play for Fox Sports/FS1 and CBS Sports. Custer calls play-by-play on college basketball for both sports networks. He recently added hosting duties on CBS Sports Network’s College Basketball shows. He previously was a host for SNY-TV, from 2006-2016, during which he won multiple Sports Emmys.

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