College Football Playoff Selection Day Studio Programs Unveil, Examine and Respond to the Initial …

ESPN will allocate Sunday’s schedule of live studio programming to College Football Playoff Selection Day, featuring the unique unveiling of the inaugural 12-team playoff bracket during the College Football Playoff Selection Show Presented by AT&T at noon ET on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Throughout the four-hour broadcast on ESPN, the 12 teams making the College Football Playoff, the corresponding CFP bracket, and the CFP selection committee’s ultimate Top 25 rankings will be disclosed. Additional analysis, reactions, and reports will be available across ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN.com, ESPN CFB YouTube, and Facebook, as well as the ESPN App.

College Football Playoff Selection Show Highlights:

• The rankings and brackets for the College Football Playoff will be revealed in the first 30 minutes of the show
• Rece Davis returns to serve as host for the 11th straight year
• Kirk Herbstreit, Joey Galloway, Booger McFarland and Greg McElroy join Davis once more for the exclusive bracket and rankings announcement, with Nick Saban making his first appearance in the lineup
• Various coaches and other notable guests are anticipated to join
• CFP experts Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich will also participate, with Dinich reporting live from the CFP Selection Committee headquarters
• ESPN will have correspondents stationed at premier team locations nationwide, including:
  • Alabama: Laura Rutledge
  • Georgia: Holly Rowe
  • Miami: Marty Smith
  • Oregon: Harry Lyles Jr.
  • Penn State: Jen Lada
  • SMU: Quint Kessenich
  • Texas: Kris Budden

*These assignments may vary. Further assignments might be determined by conference championship games.

Post-Selection Reaction on ESPN
From 4-7 p.m., Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One will delve deeper into the College Football Playoff discussions along with the overall bowl picture. Matt Barrie will host accompanied by insights from Sam Acho, EJ Manuel, Trevor Matich, Roddy Jones, Paul Finebaum and Thamel. The opening hour will be available on ESPN, followed by the final two hours on ESPN2.

In the evening, a special two-and-a-half-hour edition of Championship Drive: Bowl Breakdown Presented by Capital One (8:30-11 p.m., ESPN) will be anchored by host Kevin Connors alongside analysts Dan Mullen, Acho, Matich and Thamel.

Kick Off Your Sunday Morning with CFP Insights on SportsCenter and Championship Drive
A two-hour Championship Drive: Rankings Countdown Presented by Capital One will air at 10 a.m. on ESPN2, featuring Mullen, Finebaum, Thamel, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick alongside host Kevin Negandhi. The 8 a.m. SportsCenter on ESPN2 will showcase a variety of college football commentators offering insights and analyses leading up to the rankings revelation, with CFB on-air talent joining SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to conclude the evening.

ESPN’s Comprehensive Selection Day Coverage includes:

• Sunday NFL Countdown: The team on the network’s well-liked NFL pregame show (10 a.m. – noon, ESPN) will welcome Herbstreit at 11 a.m. to discuss the forthcoming CFP unveiling.
• Rankings Reaction Presented by Allstate: Hosts Sam Ravech and Matt Simms will be joined by guests Trevor Matich and EJ Manuel to respond to the final CFP rankings at 1 p.m. This 30-minute digital program will stream live on ESPN’s College Football YouTube and Facebook accounts, along with the ESPN App.
• Playoff Picture Presented by AT&T: Hosts Christine Williamson, Spencer Hall and Matt Simms will analyze what paths to a National Championship could look like for several teams in the bracket. This digital show starts at 3 p.m. and will also stream live on ESPN’s College Football YouTube and Facebook accounts, as well as the ESPN App.
• College Networks: Both SEC Network and ACC Network will present bowl specials on Sunday that preview their conference’s postseason:
  • SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special
    Sunday night, following a full day of Selection Day coverage across various ESPN platforms, Dari Nowkhah hosts SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special at 6 p.m., accompanied by Cole Cubelic, Chris Doering and Roman Harper in the SEC Network’s Charlotte studios to highlight the SEC teams selected for the postseason.
  • ACC Huddle: CFP & Bowl Selection Special
    Taylor Tannebaum, Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel, Mark Richt and Eddie Royal will reunite on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m., for a two-hour ACC Huddle: CFP & Bowl Selection Special. The analysts will discuss the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket and spotlight the ACC’s 13 teams qualified for bowl games, providing analysis and insights.

• ESPN.com: Extensive news and analysis throughout Selection Day, dissecting the playoff field and bowl matchups, including:
  • Heather Dinich reporting from the CFP Selection Committee headquarters.
  • Bill Connelly assesses how each of the 12 playoff teams could secure the national title for ESPN+.
  • Reporters evaluate the initial round of the playoff with the first insights into all four matchups, along with immediate bracket predictions, from the opening round through to the championship game.
  • Later in the week, ESPN.com will also release Connelly’s updated yearly rankings of all 52 teams that have qualified for the College Football Playoff.

Inaugural CFP Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T
This year marks the first-ever chance for fans to engage in the College Football Playoff Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T, allowing them to compete with friends, family, and others by completing CFP brackets as part of the expanded Playoff. Fans predicting the National Champion will be automatically entered into a random drawing to win $50,000 in total prizes. The College Football Playoff Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T is currently available on ESPN.com, ESPN App, and ESPN Fantasy App. Fans can fill out and submit their brackets until shortly before the First Round begins on Dec. 20.

College Football Playoff Selection Day Schedule – Sunday, Dec. 8

*Segments dedicated to CFP discussion
^ Scheduled commentators may change

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