College football analyst Rick Neuheisel is moving from the Pac-12 Networks to CBS Sports, per a CBS announcement Tuesday.
Neuheisel will contribute to “College Football Today,” which is the weekly Saturday pregame show prior to the SEC on CBS. He will also appear on the panel of “Inside College Football” on CBS Sports Network.
This is an excellent hire by CBS who have nabbed a rising star in Neuheisel. He knows college football, having played at UCLA and coached at Colorado, Washington and finally UCLA before joining the television ranks, and has quickly become an adept TV studio analyst.
He has the charisma to carry a segment, the knowledge to back it up, and will be immediately seen as a detractor to the SEC with his Pac-12 slant, giving CBS an antagonist on its studio shows.
He will most likely be paired with Brian Jones as Spencer Tillman has left the network according to the Houston Chronicle, or maybe CBS will hire someone else to accompany Neuheisel when he sits next to Adam Zucker. Chemistry with the other analysts shouldn’t be an issue as Neuheisel is witty and has strong opinions, but has avoided simply fabricating hot takes on air.
“Rick’s enthusiasm, football acumen and experience on the field and the sidelines make him a natural on television,” CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said in a statement. “His addition strengthens our college football announce team and we look forward to showcasing his sharp insight and analysis across CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network.”
For those of you who have not been able to see Neuheisel during his three years on the Pac-12 Networks — which is probably most of you — he has also become known as a singer/songwriter, making up college football-related songs set to classic melodies and performing them on the Dan Patrick Show.
Like this one: “Born in the SEC.”
Neuheisel will be a fantastic addition to the studio crew at CBS Sports, let’s just hope they let him bring his guitar to New York.
