College Football 25: Announcers and Broadcast Experience

The upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 video game promises to deliver a realistic broadcast experience, enhancing the overall immersion for players. This article delves into the confirmed announcers, potential broadcast teams, and other presentation elements that will feature in the game.

Multiple Broadcast Teams

Kirk Herbstreit revealed that he and Chris Fowler won’t be the only announcers players hear in the game. There will be multiple broadcast teams that will change based on the “magnitude” of the matchup, according to Herbstreit. “Chris and I won’t be on every every game,” Herbstreit said. “You’re going to have different broadcast partners for different games. Depending on the magnitude of the game, that will dictate who’s calling the game.”

EA Sports senior vice president Daryl Holt declined to elaborate on what other announcers could be in the game but told USA Today that more details about the game should be coming in the “next few weeks.”

Confirmed Announcers

The ESPN/ABC duo of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will be the primary commentators for the game. Fowler said he spent 115 hours recording his lines for the game, reading the names of 700 college football players. Their ESPN colleagues Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Jesse Palmer and Kevin Connors have previously confirmed that they’ll be featured in the game. Davis and Howard are part of the College Gameday team, Palmer is a studio analyst and color commentator, and Connors is an anchor.

While Fowler and Herbstreit will be the primary voices during gameplay, it can be assumed that Connors, Palmer, and Howard will be used in pregame, halftime, and postgame studio segments. It has yet to be confirmed if other College Gameday personalities like Pat McAfee or Lee Corso will also be in the game, but it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Comparison with Previous NCAA Football Games

The news that Fowler and Herbstreit will be the primary commentators isn’t a surprise, as the previous NCAA Football series primarily used ESPN/ABC’s top college football commentators as the primary voices for their games. NCAA Football ‘14, the final installment of the game before its hiatus, featured Herbstreit and Brad Nessler as the primary commentators as they were the lead voices for ABC’s Saturday Night Football at the time. Fowler took over for the CBS-bound Nessler in 2015 and him and Herbstreit has been one of the top commentating duos of the sport since. The old NCAA games replicated the Gameday theatrics and would even feature Corso doing the mascot head gimmick with whichever team was playing. Similar to Madden, the game also had an in-game “Ask Corso” feature, where he’d recommend certain plays to the user based on the situation.

College Football Playoff Commentators

ESPN’s top commentary team of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will call a TV game in every round of the second year of the expanded CFP, including kicking off first-round coverage on Friday night with Laura Rutledge. The trio will once again be joined by Molly McGrath for the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T.

Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer will also commentate.

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College Football Broadcast Teams Ranked

The votes are in for the top college football broadcast teams of the 2024 season. We asked Awful Announcing readers to grade 25 teams across a wide selection of networks, and received more than 18,500 responses. As with our other rankings (CFB last year, NFL, MLB, and more), we then converted the letter grades from those requested responses to numerical grades, with A = 4 and F = 0, and ranked the announcing teams accordingly. The average grade was 2.46, or a C+, which would be between the 11th and 12th teams here. One note here, as discussed in our post asking for grades, is that college football often sees frequent broadcasting shifts week to week.

Here is a list of those teams:

25. Noah Reed and Robert Smith

This team is a new addition to these rankings and is new this year. Smith is a familiar football voice, working on various Fox NFL and CFB broadcasts and studio shows since 2016, as well as for Big Ten Network (and for ESPN before he joined Fox), but he was mostly teamed with Alex Faust last year. Reed is a newer voice but has been doing play-by-play for Fox, NBC, and ESPN over the past several years. It’s worth noting that while this team ranked last in these rankings, they were well above the bottom team last year (Paul Burmeister and Colt McCoy for NBC/Peacock, who drew just a 1.57). And they did get some praise in the comments, including “Noah is definitely a rising star and I want to see him on bigger assignments” and “Noah Reed is exceptional.

24. Jason Garrett and Dan Hicks

Hicks and Garrett were 23rd last year with a 1.87, so this is actually a numerical improvement for them if not one in rank. And it’s a long way from the 1.12 (dead last of 20 teams) Garrett drew with Jac Collinsworth in 2023. Still, this team drew 54 Fs (the fourth-highest raw total) of 606 votes. The comments here generally revolved around a theme expressed by one respondent as “Hicks is fine. Garrett isn’t.” Other remarks along those lines included “Hicks is a solid B, but Garrett drags this score way down to a D” and “F entirely because of Garrett. Wow, is he awful.” There were also complaints about a bias towards Notre Dame.

23. Roy Philpott and Sam Acho

This team is new to the rankings this year, but they’re both experienced commentators. Philpott has been with ESPN since 2013, while Acho joined the network in 2021. The two first teamed up last year.

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22. Rich Waltz and Ron Turbin

CBS’s teams proved the toughest to deal with in setting up these rankings, as the secondary teams behind Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson turned out to be far different from what they announced in August. That announcement featured Waltz with Ross Tucker and Chris Lewis, with Logan Ryan, but Tucker wound up shifting to NFL work, and Waltz ended up working with a wide variety of analysts; Turbin looks to have been his most frequent partner, though. Waltz and Turbin were 20th last year with a 2.05, with that year also featuring remarkable week-by-week shifts for CBS teams. There were very few comments on this team, but some of the ones we did receive were quite complimentary. That included “I really like Rich and think he’s an underrated broadcaster,” “Waltz is an older Dave Flemming,” and “Another underrated team that is so good.

21. Will Blackmon and Thom Brennaman

This group narrowly edged out Waltz and Turbin for 21st, recording a 2.068 to a 2.066. This is a slight drop for Brennaman from his much-discussed return last year, where he received a 2.12 with Max Browne (19th of 25 teams). The comments here focused mainly on Brennaman. A couple of respondents cited Brennaman’s 2020 homophobic slur on a hot mic as a reason not to rank him higher. However, the more common reaction was criticism of his specific CFB announcing.

20. Wes Durham and Steve Addazio

Durham has been a key figure for ACC Network in multiple roles since its 2019 launch, including as its lead football play-by-play voice. He’s had a lot of different analyst partners in that time, though, including Tim Hasselbeck in 2023 (a 2.35 grade, 13th of 20 considered teams) and Tom Luginbill last year (also a 2.35, 12th of 25). Many of these comments were critical of Addazio in particular, which may explain that year-over-year drop for Durham. Some of the anti-Addazio lines included “Durham would get an A, but it’s Addazio” (on a B grade), “Addazio sounds like your confused uncle in the booth,” and “Other than the games being broadcast, the biggest battles include Steve against the English language. He’s tough to listen to.” But one viewer found this booth a “definite upgrade” over Durham and Luginbill.

19. Eric Collins and Spencer Tillman

Collins and Tillman came in about where they did last year (2.14, 18th of 25 teams). They drew 30 As and 143 Bs on 559 votes, but also 32 Fs and 75 Ds. In the comments, Collins’ often-enthusiastic style earned both plaudits and demerits.

18. Mark Jones and Roddy Jones

We have our first most common B grade: the firm of Jones and Jones received 207 B votes out of 615. That, and their 54 As, were key to them winding up this high despite 70 Fs, the third-highest total in this poll. Mark Jones’ long history with the sport, spanning three-plus decades, drew praise in the comments. Lines there included “Mark Jones doesn’t get enough love. He’s very good whenever he’s in the booth,” “Mark Jones doesn’t get enough credit. He’s always been good, especially has a way with words,” “amazing,” “the most underrated announcer ever,” and “a real pro with a fun turn of phrase.” But some critics felt he’s “gotten worse over the years” and “needs to understand when to tone it down.” Some liked Roddy Jones more, with remarks such as “Roddy is great, Mark Jones is meh” and “Roddy shows promise, but Mark’s act is very tired.” There was praise for the overall duo, too, though, including “The Jones boys are quickly moving up the list of top teams.

17. Tim Brando and Devin Gardner

We now come to one of the most polarizing teams. The 71 Fs Brando and Gardner drew (out of 633 votes) were the second-highest total in these rankings, and they drew far more Cs (231) than Bs (190), but their 64 As (11th-most) put them over the pairings below them. Most of the commentary here revolved around long-established college football figure Brando. Praise there included “a legend,” “has the pipes to do college football, love for the sport comes out in his broadcasts,” “Brando = A, Gardner pulls him down with C-” (on a B grade), “I love Tim Brando’s enthusiasm,” and “has a voice that says college football to me.” And one viewer appreciated his often-opinionated commentary with “Tim Brando swings from the hip, tell it like it is. But others were much more critical of Brando.

16. Connor Onion and Mark Helfrich

There weren’t many As (36 of 521 votes) for this booth, but their low number of Fs (22) was key to them getting the spot they did. In these comments, there was a fair bit of criticism for Helfrich.

15. Jeff Levering and Jake Butt

This Big Ten Network lead crew wound up in the middle of the three conference network crews considered this year, and did so partly thanks to a good ratio of As (56 of 501 votes) to Fs (21). The commentary here was largely in praise of Butt. Lines there included “Mainly because of Butt, he is fantastic” (on an A grade), “I enjoy hearing Butt’s commentary and insights,” “a rising star,” “one of the best analysts in the country,” and “a superstar and deserves a bigger platform.” One other reader noted he “has a lot of potential [but] needs to watch the cliches.” Levering took some criticism, such as “does not have a big game voice or feel,” but also drew some “future star” and “awesome” notes.

14. J.B. Long and Mike Golic Jr.

The key for this team was their relatively high percentage of Bs (158 of 502 votes). Long and Golic worked together on some TNT Sports calls last year, but not frequently enough to make these rankings (the network’s main team of Ari Wolfe and Darius Walker placed 24th of 25 teams with a 1.87). An interesting recurring note in the comments was that people enjoy Golic Jr. in other roles, but not as a game caller (which he previously did at ESPN as well). A few lines there included “I like Golic Jr in general, but I don’t like his style calling games. He needs to realize this is different than doing a radio show” and “I feel like I’d have way more fun and learn a whole lot more watching a game with Golic Jr.; feels like calling games robs him of his personality.” However, some gave him plaudits such as “doing excellent work in the booth.” Others had praise for both of the commentators and the overall broadcasts on TNT’s networks, including “A very underrated team. I have loved everything about the Big 12 on TNT,” and “Wish TNT had better Big 12 games.

13. Anish Shroff and Andre Ware

This booth barely edged out Long and Golic Jr. with a 2.250 to a 2.237, and did so on the strength of their As (48 of 545 votes) and Bs (174). Shroff and Ware have worked together since 2023, but both have worked at ESPN for decades (since 2008 and 2003, respectively). These comments saw a lot of praise for Shroff in particular. That included “I’m surprised at how much I enjoy Anish’s commentary.

12. Tom Luginbill and Matt Barrie

This tandem received almost as many Bs (218 of 596 votes) as Cs (238). Barrie received a lot of criticism in the comments. That included “an overbearing talks-too-much know-it-all,” “voice matters and Barrie’s is nails on a chalkboard,” “thinks he’s much funnier than he actually is,” “a sarcastic, arrogant twit,” and “Not since Craig Kilborn has ESPN had anyone as close to annoying to listen to as Matt Barrie. Always feels like he’s putting on an act instead of being authentic.” Some others noted that they like him in other roles more, with lines such as “a tremendous studio host, but he should stay out of the broadcast booth” and “a really tough listen, studio guy, and is better off there.” As for Luginbill, he drew lines such as “knows his stuff, but isn’t the most likable person.” The comments overall were more negative than the numerical grade, but there was some high praise as well, including “Love them.

11. Jordan Rodgers and Tom Hart

The 27-point lead this team received over the 12th-place booth was the most significant slot-over-slot jump in this poll. The key part of that was A grades, with this group earning 110 As (10th-most) out of 572 votes (and just 17 Fs). This group, which has been together since 2017, again ranked highest among the three conference network teams considered. The comments here were even higher than the grades on this team. Those included “Knowledgeable and enjoyable,” “Wish these guys had more of a national profile,” “They should be doing better games. One of the best broadcasts in the country,” “Awesome chemistry and camaraderie,” “10x better than the rest,” and “They should get a playoff game.” Hart also received a fair bit of specific individual praise, including “a joy to listen to” and “a genius worth words,” but also took some criticism, such as “terrible and thinks he’s a comedian.” There was also some criticism of the three-announcer setup, including “having both Rodgers and Cubelic there crowds things,” and some suggested that Cubelic should move from the field analyst role into the booth.

10. Jason Benetti and Robert Griffin III

This goes from the most significant slot-over-slot rise to one of the smallest ones, with Benetti and Griffin narrowly edging out that SECN team due to a 2.548 average grade versus a 2.545. They also received a lot of As, but a lower percentage (117 of 653, 17.9 percent, versus 19.2 percent for Hart/Rodgers/Cubelic), and more Fs (37 versus 17). These comments marked a sharp divide between how readers saw Benetti (who placed fifth of 25 last year with a 3.13, alongside Brock Huard) and Griffin. Some of that included “RGIII really brings the grade down” (on a C grade), “RG3 gets an F, he is horrible, Jason B+” (on a D grade), “Jason is good, Robert is annoying,” “Combine an A and F” (on a C grade), “Benetti is great, Griffin is not even good,” and “Benetti is awesome! Awesome enough to lift up the mediocre Griffin.” Other praise for Benetti included “a pro and makes his partner better,” “phenomenal,” and “solid gold, his humor seals the deal.” But while Griffin took further individual criticism, including “tries too hard to create soundbites,” “a clown,” and ” the absolute worst, has no personality and we don’t care about what he did on the field,” some liked the duo, with lines such as “they play off each other so well” and “The ability of Jason to call the game and play into RGIII-isms makes watching the game feel like I’m with a couple of good buddies.

9. Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt

Fox’s top team (both internally and in these rankings) is another one in that tight cluster from #11 to #9, drawing a 2.550. They’re the first team to receive mostly As (211 of 702 votes), but also garnered a lot of Bs (207). However, their 77 Fs were the highest in this poll, showing that they remain polarizing. The comments here were harsher than the grades, especially for Johnson.

8. Brock Osweiler and Dave Flemming

The grades for the Flemming/Osweiler team provide an interesting contrast to the Johnson/Klatt booth below them. They received only 68 As on 604 votes, but pulled in 292 Bs and only drew 12 Fs, giving them the highest percentage of A/B/C grades to this point (and the sixth-highest in this poll). A few respondents strongly disliked them, leading to their placement here. This booth is in its second year, but wasn’t included in our poll last year thanks to the sheer numbers of ESPN teams (they were the 15th group listed, counting conference network teams, in ESPN’s 2024 release). In the comments, Flemming drew particular praise. That included “great pipes,” “outstanding,” “a steady, consistent fixture,” “always well-prepared and flows with the game,” “massively underrated,” and “underrated and should be considered for playoff assignments.” Osweiler drew some positive remarks as well, including “really good” and “solid,” but several found him just okay and noted that he brought down their grade for the booth.

7. Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer

This is the second biggest slot-over-slot jump in this year’s poll, behind only the leap from 12th to 11th. Tessitore and Palmer are in their third consecutive season togeth.

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