The College Football Playoff is the largest, most popular event on ESPN’s calendar, and as usual the network is treating it as such.
On Thursday, ESPN announced plans for its College Football Playoff semifinals MegaCast, and the menu is as thorough as ever, with 11 different feeds. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Main broadcasts (ESPN) — Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the Rose Bowl between Georgia and Oklahoma, while Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge will work the Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Clemson.
- Command center (ESPN2) — ESPN2 will air a split-screen telecast displaying the main feed and several others, along with stats and drive charts.
- Coaches room (ESPNEWS) — The ever-popular coaches’ room telecast will feature Dino Babers, Bret Bielema, Larry Fedora, Dana Holgorsen, Matt Luke and Gary Patterson.
- Finebaum Film Room (SEC Network) — Paul Finebaum and a crew of analysts will break down the games while fielding phone calls from fans.
- Hometown audio (ESPN3) — Through ESPN3, fans of the competing teams can listen to their local radio broadcasts synced to the main ESPN TV feed.
- DataCenter (ESPN Goal Line) — In the DataCenter, ESPN’s main feed is supplemented by statistics and social media reaction.
- SkyCam (ESPN3) — Perhaps in response to the attention NBC has received for its SkyCam-heavy NFL broadcasts, ESPN will produce a permanent SkyCam feed.
- All-22 (ESPN3) — This feed features a wide angle that allows viewers to see the entire field at once.
- ESPN Deportes — Kenneth Garay and Sebastian Martinez-Christensen will call the Spanish-language edition of the Rose Bowl, while Lalo Varela and Pablo Viruega will work the Sugar Bowl.
- ESPN Radio — Steve Levy and Brian Griese will call the Rose Bowl, while Bill Rosinski and David Norrie work the Sugar Bowl.
All feeds will be available through the ESPN App.
In a welcome innovation, ESPN will place cameras inside first-down markers, which should provide clarity in case of a controversial first-down call, a la J.T. Barrett during the 2016 Ohio State-Michigan game. Overall, ESPN will have 50 cameras at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, including in locker rooms and in all eight pylons.
The College Football Playoff semifinals will take place January 1st, with the national title game arriving a week later.
About Alex Putterman
Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.