SEC on ABC logo Credit: ESPN
By Sam Neumann on

In introducing the SEC back to ABC, ESPN has elected to revive what the network described as a fan favorite from the early 2000s.

Everything old is new again.

Ahead of the SEC’s debut on ABC, ESPN announced Thursday that it has revamped its iconic college football theme song from the late 1990s/early 2000s. The refreshed tune will premiere on Saturday, Aug. 31, during the Miami-Florida (3:30 p.m. ET) and Notre Dame-Texas A&M (7:30 p.m. ET) games.

The updated theme, a collaborative effort between the SEC, ESPN Music, ESPN’s college football production team, and renowned composer Bob Christianson, aims to capture the nostalgia and excitement of the SEC’s early days on ESPN while appealing to a new generation of fans.

Christianson also created the renowned NHL on ESPN theme.

“Music is a crucial element in shaping the storytelling of any broadcast,” said ESPN president of content Burke Magnus. “The opportunity to resurrect a theme song that means so much to college football fans, and so many of us at ESPN, was important as we start this new chapter in our relationship with the SEC.”

“By reaching into the past and connecting with the present, ESPN is bringing a touch of tradition to a new era of televised SEC sports,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This re-orchestrated composition will enhance the presentation of SEC football on ABC by bringing a bit of nostalgia to the SEC’s new Saturday television experience.”

The composition will accompany the Southeastern Conference’s exclusive coverage on ABC and ESPN platforms. It will be exclusively for SEC home games on ABC, expanding its reach beyond the traditional 3:30 p.m. ET time slot. Fans can expect to hear the revamped theme during ABC primetime Saturday Night Football games and noon SEC contests.

After the SEC on ABC logo received mixed reviews, the theme music was more of the same. And fans across social media had other ideas about what they would’ve liked to see re-orchestrated by the Worldwide Leader (and Disney). But there were still some positive reception(s) mixed in.

It’s not the SEC on CBS by any stretch, but it’ll play just fine.

[ESPN PR]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann