ESPN platforms will dedicate Sunday’s slate of live studio coverage to College Football Playoff Selection Day, including the exclusive reveal of the first-ever 12-team playoff field during the College Football Playoff Selection Show Presented by AT&T at noon ET on Sunday, Dec. 8.
During the four-hour show on ESPN, the 12 College Football Playoff teams, the associated CFP bracket and the CFP selection committee’s final Top 25 rankings will be revealed. ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN.com, ESPN CFB YouTube and Facebook and the ESPN App will all feature additional playoff analysis, reaction and reporting.
College Football Playoff Selection Show Highlights:
- College Football Playoff rankings and brackets to be revealed within the show’s first 30 minutes
- Rece Davis returns to host for 11th consecutive year
- Kirk Herbstreit, Joey Galloway, Booger McFarland and Greg McElroy join Davis again for the exclusive bracket and rankings reveal, with first-time addition of Nick Saban rounding out the group
- Coaches and other guests are also expected to join
- CFP insiders Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich will also join, with Dinich live from the CFP Selection Committee headquarters
- ESPN will have reporters at top team sites across the country, 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 are subject to change. Additional assignments based on conference championship games may be added.
Post-Selection Reaction on ESPN
From 4-7 p.m., Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One will continue the discussion of the College Football Playoff and the entire bowl picture. Matt Barrie hosts with insight from Sam Acho, EJ Manuel, Trevor Matich, Roddy Jones, Paul Finebaum and Thamel. The first hour of the show will be available on ESPN and the final two hours will continue on ESPN2.
In primetime, the two-and-half hour special Championship Drive: Bowl Breakdown Presented by Capital One (8:30-11 p.m., ESPN) will feature host Kevin Connors joined by analysts Dan Mullen, Acho, Matich and Thamel.
Start Your Sunday Morning with CFP Analysis on SportsCenter and Championship Drive
A two-hour Championship Drive: Rankings Countdown Presented by Capital One airs at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 with Mullen, Finebaum, Thamel, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick joining host Kevin Negandhi. The 8 a.m. SportsCenter on ESPN2 will feature various college football commentators providing insight and analysis ahead of the rankings reveal, with CFB on-air personalities joining SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to close out the night.
ESPN’s Multi-Platform Selection Day Coverage includes:
- Sunday NFL Countdown: The crew on the network’s popular NFL pregame show (10 a.m. – noon, ESPN) will be joined by Herbstreit at 11 a.m. to discuss the upcoming CFP reveal.
- Rankings Reaction Presented by Allstate: Hosts Sam Ravech and Matt Simms joined by guests Trevor Matich and EJ Manuel will be reacting to the final CFP rankings at 1 p.m. The 30-minute digital show will stream live to ESPN’s College Football YouTube and Facebook accounts as well as the ESPN App.
- Playoff Picture Presented by AT&T: Hosts Christine Williamson, Spencer Hall and Matt Simms will take a look at what a path to a National Championship would look like for a handful of teams in the bracket. The digital show will begin at 3 p.m. and will stream live to ESPN’s College Football YouTube and Facebook accounts as well as the ESPN App.
- College Networks: Both SEC Network and ACC Network will offer bowl specials on Sunday previewing their conference’s postseason:
- SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special
Sunday night, following a full slate of Selection Day programming across ESPN platforms, Dari Nowkhah hosts SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special at 6 p.m., joined by Cole Cubelic, Chris Doering and Roman Harper in SEC Network’s Charlotte studios to highlight the SEC squads selected to 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 react to the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket and highlight the ACC’s 13 bowl-eligible teams with analysis and insight.
- SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special
- ESPN.com: Comprehensive news and analysis throughout Selection Day, breaking down the playoff field and bowl matchups, including:
- Heather Dinich will report from the CFP Selection Committee headquarters.
- Bill Connelly breaks down how all 12 playoff teams can win the national title for ESPN+.
- Reporters break down the first round of the playoff with a first look at all four matchups, as well as provide instant bracket picks, from the first round to the title game.
- Later in the week, ESPN.com will also publish Connelly’s updated annual list by ranking all 52 teams to make the College Football Playoff.
Inaugural CFP Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T
For the first time ever, the College Football Playoff Bracket Challenge Presented by AT&T will give fans the chance to compete with friends, family and others by filling out CFP brackets as part of the expanded Playoff. Fans who pick 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 open now on ESPN.com, ESPN App, and ESPN Fantasy App. Fans can complete and enter brackets until shortly before the First Round kicks off on Dec. 20.
College Football Playoff Selection Day Schedule – Sunday, Dec. 8
| Time (ET) | Programming | CFB On-Air Personalities^ | Platform |
| 8 a.m. | SportsCenter* | Commentators: Matich, Riddick, Harper, Finebaum | ESPN2 |
| 10 a.m. | Championship Drive: Rankings Countdown Presented by Capital One | Host: Negandhi Commentators: Mullen, Orlovsky, Riddick, Thamel, Finebaum |
ESPN2/ESPNU |
| Noon | College Football Playoff Selection Show Presented by AT&T | Host: Davis Commentators: Galloway, McElroy, McFarland, Saban, Herbstreit |
ESPN |
| 1 p.m. | Rankings Reaction Presented by Allstate | Hosts: Ravech, Simms Commentators: Matich, Manuel |
ESPN CFB YouTube/ Facebook/ESPN App |
| 3 p.m. | Playoff Picture Presented by AT&T | Hosts: Williamson, Hall, Simms | ESPN CFB YouTube/ Facebook/ESPN App |
| 4 p.m. | Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One | Host: Barrie Commentators: Acho, Manuel, Matich, R. Jones, Thamel, Finebaum |
ESPN |
| 5 p.m. | Championship Drive: Rankings Reaction Presented by Capital One | Host: Barrie Commentators: Acho, Manuel, Matich, R. Jones, Thamel, Finebaum |
ESPN2 |
| 6 p.m. | SEC Now: CFP and Postseason Special | Host: Nowkhah Commentators: Cubelic, Doering, Harper |
SEC Network |
| 8 p.m. | ACC Huddle: CFP & Bowl Selection Special | Host: Tannebaum Commentators: Mac Lain, Manuel, Richt, Royal |
ACC Network |
| 8:30 p.m. | Championship Drive: Bowl Breakdown Presented by Capital One | Host: Connors Commentators: Acho, Matich, R. Jones, Thamel, Finebaum |
ESPN |
* Segments dedicated to CFP discussion
^ Scheduled commentators subject to change
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