Scorebug graphics draw a lot of discussion, and that’s certainly the case in college football. The 2024 season has seen a lot of memorable games and notable upsets, but it’s also marked a good chance to evaluate the different scorebugs, with the combination of conference realignment and broadcasting shifts seeing many teams playing in new places.
As with our announcer rankings (NFL, MLB, WNBA, and more), we recently asked AA readers to vote on seven different scorebugs. In alphabetical order, those were SEC on ABC, other ABC/ESPN/ACCN/SECN, CBS/CBSSN, The CW, Fox/FS1/Big Ten Network, NBC/Peacock, and TNT Sports (TNT/truTV/Max). Respondents were asked to grade those as A, B, C, D, or F, with A the highest, and could rate as few or as many scorebugs as they wished, and provide accompanying comments or not. (Interestingly enough, in many cases here, the comments showed just how personal and subjective scorebug rankings can be, with many people weighing in on the same aspect of a bug as good or bad.)
We received a lot of votes and comments on what viewers like and don’t like with the different scorebugs. We then converted the letter grades to numerical grades, with A as 5 and F as 1, and ranked the scorebugs accordingly. The average grade was 3.6, or a B-. Without further ado, let’s break these down.
7. Fox/FS1/Big Ten Network: 2.7
Most common grade: F (127)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 55.0 percent
With Fox making such a big bet on college football (including on the main network on Fridays), this one is seen a lot. And, as the results show, many don’t like it. However, this did get more A votes than The CW and TNT Sports, so it does have its fans.
A lot of our respondents were not a fan of this one at all, though, with one even saying “What’s below an F? This is the worst score bug we’ve seen in years, maybe decades.” Particular points of contention included the size (“too big, too cluttered, too themed,” “takes up too much of the field,”), the location (“way too close to the middle of the screen”), the font for the team names (“unreadable,”), and the way the logos pop out.
6. The CW: 3.0
Most common grade: C (148)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 69.3 percent.
The CW’s scorebug didn’t finish far above the Fox ranking in raw numbers, but the most common view on it is more “Meh” than “Ew.” Very few voters gave it an outright F. However, even less gave it an A, so there aren’t a ton of devotees or out-and-out haters for it.
Oft-cited criticisms here included the fonts (“too weird,” “why all the condensed fonts”?), the small size of the quarter and clock information relative to the overall bug, the lack of indication of who has possession, and the overall appearance (“doesn’t look professional,” “high school football vibes,” “the Microsoft Paint of score bugs”). Many commented that it looked like an old 90s or 2010s bug. Another oft-discussed point was the lack of ticker scores from other games, which some liked and some didn’t.
5. TNT Sports: 3.52
Most common grade: B (177)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 88.1 percent.
Interestingly enough, TNT Sports’ scorebug got the second-fewest F grades. But it’s still in the bottom half of these rankings due to an abundance of Ds (above everything higher up these rankings) and a limited number of As (second-lowest, behind The CW.) Most people gave it Bs and Cs, though.
One recurring comment was that this felt like a copy of someone else’s scorebug, but two people thought it looked like NBC’s, two thought it looked like an ESPN knockoff, and one thought it looked like CBS. It won praise for the way the colors pop, but took some criticism for being too large, for the font choice, and for the lack of ticker. One commenter thought it was one of the stronger scorebug efforts from TNT Sports overall. The most heard comment was “It’s fine,” which fits with the overall grades.
4. ABC (non-SEC)/ESPN networks/ACCN/SECN: 3.69
Most common grade: B (154)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 88.0 percent
This is likely the scorebug shown on most games by tonnage, especially considering all the games on ESPN+. It received significantly more A votes than the three below it, but fewer than the three above it, and the Cs weighed it down.
As mentioned above, there are some advocates for constant tickers and some who strongly dislike them. But this scorebug brought out the most specific complaints about the ticker (which ESPN calls the “Bottom Line” for their networks), with many saying it takes up too much space combined with this scorebug, and with two respondents, in particular, saying the colors (especially yellow for breaking news) make it seem like there’s a flag.
The other big complaint on this one was its age, with it drawing lines like “getting old,” “feels a bit dated,” and “They’ve needed to change this up for a while.” Of course, some found it “classic” and said they prefer it to the new SEC on ABC bug (which we’ll discuss further down). But more expressed strong preferences in the comments for the new SEC on ABC bug, and that’s borne out in the voting.
3. CBS/CBSSN: 3.92
Most common grade: B (176)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 90.6 percent
It’s a big season for CBS, with their shift from the SEC to the Big Ten for their 3:30 p.m. ET game. That may mean they’re getting different eyeballs on their games, and the respondents we got here seem generally pleased with them, with lots of As and Bs. However, they have notably less As than the two at the top of these rankings.
One significant point of discussion in the comments here was a mid-season change to the font, with many praising the new font and blasting the one they started with. So it’s likely fortunate for CBS we ran this poll when we did. Interestingly, this on CBS/CBSSN (and Fox/FS1) provides clear examples of the same bug with and without the ticker, and we presented both in the voting post: the comments for CBS were split almost down the middle in favor of and against a ticker.
Beyond this, this took praise for its minimalism (“clean and crisp, no added garbage,” “best scorebug out there, clean and easy to read,” “clean and visually pleasing,” “the best of the bunch,”) from some, but was seen as “dated” and “plain” by others. So it’s certainly not possible to make everyone happy. But CBS’ approach has given them an upper-half result here.
2. SEC on ABC: 4.06
Most common grade: A (204)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 88.2 percent
This is the only really new one, debuting as an ESPN graphics overhaul around gaining the full SEC package. In particular, they grabbed the 3:30 p.m. ET window that had been CBS’ game of the week, and this shows up there a lot. But this is used beyond that, including on noon and primetime SEC on ABC games.
Many seem to particularly like this scorebug. It received the second-highest number of A votes, only 13 behind our winner. However, it is at least somewhat polarizing, drawing the third-most number of Fs and a bunch of D votes. So while those who like it like it a lot, that doesn’t extend to everyone.
Oft-cited criticisms in the comments here included the bug’s size, especially with the attached ticker. Others criticized its “weird 3dness” and the idea of a separate SEC on ABC presentation. But many praised the clean look and the font and color choices, and some thought the size was just right. While some respondents stated they prefer the other ESPN/ABC bug, the tide was strongly against them in the comments, with many saying this bug should be rolled out to all ESPN games.
1. NBC/Peacock: 4.29
Most common grade: A (217)
Percentage of A, B, C grades: 95.1 percent
Your winner and 2024 champion is…NBC Sports! This is interesting considering their limited CFB tonnage, which is mostly one to two Big Ten games a week and potentially a Notre Dame home game (with those split across broadcast NBC and Peacock). But their scorebug efforts certainly received major praise here, with more than half of the people who voted on their bug giving them an A, and very few giving them a F.
The most repeated comment here was “clean,” and many praised it in high terms, such as “Easily the best” and “Best in the business.” Some commenters liked its similarity to Sunday Night Football while still having some differences. It also saw credit for its low positioning (partly possible thanks to the lack of a ticker, but going beyond that), providing more screen space for the game, and for its “modern” look and simplicity.
However, some criticized this bug for a minimal play clock and for the play clock being too close to the game clock, and one called it “a bit too understated,” so even the winners weren’t universally praised. Still, overall, there were many more positive votes and positive comments for this bug than any of the others reviewed.
We crown NBC Sports’ college football scorebug as the favorite of AA readers for 2024.
