ESPN College Football on ABC ESPN College Football on ABC is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company ' s ( ABC ) regular season American college football television package ( separate from " Saturday Night Football " ) . ABC broadcast regular season college football in 1950 and has every year since 1966 . The television network has first pick of games from the Big East Conference , Atlantic Coast Conference , Big Ten Conference , Big 12 Conference and Pacific - 12 Conference . History . 1950 , 1966 – 1997 . ABC has historically aired the premiere games since it has had all major conference contracts at one time or another . Keith Jackson with his down - home , folsky style symbolized college football has served as its unofficial voice . By 1950 , a small number of prominent football schools , including the University of Pennsylvania ( ABC ) and the University of Notre Dame ( DuMont Television Network ) had entered into individual contracts with networks to broadcast their games regionally . In fact , all of Penn ' s home games were broadcast on ABC during the 1950 season under a contract that paid Penn $ 150 , 000 . However , prior to the 1951 season , the NCAA – alarmed by reports that indicated television decreased attendance at games – asserted control and prohibited live broadcasts of games . Although the NCAA successfully forced Penn and Notre Dame to break their contracts , the NCAA suffered withering attacks for its 1951 policy , faced threats of antitrust hearings and eventually caved in and lifted blackouts of certain sold - out games . Bowl games were always outside the control of the NCAA , and the 1952 Rose Bowl at the end of that season was the first truly national telecast of a college football game , on NBC . For the 1952 season , the NCAA relented somewhat , but limited telecasts to " one " nationally - broadcast game each week . The NCAA sold the exclusive rights to broadcast the weekly game to NBC for $ 1 , 144 , 000 . The first game shown under this contract was Texas Christian University against the University of Kansas , on September 20 , 1952 . The NCAA believed that broadcasting one game a week would prevent further controversy while limiting any decrease in attendance . However , the Big Ten Conference was unhappy with the arrangement , and it pressured the NCAA to allow regional telecasts as well . Finally , in 1955 the NCAA revised its plan , keeping eight national games while permitting regional telecasts during five specified weeks of the season . ABC won the contract under this arrangement for the 1966 season onwards . This was essentially the television plan that stayed in place until the University of Oklahoma and the University of Georgia filed suit against the NCAA in 1981 , alleging antitrust violations . In 1997 , ABC began using the fixed scoreboard on its broadcasts . 1998 – 2005 . ABC was awarded the first exclusive BCS contract beginning in 1999 , however they lost rights to games other than the Rose Bowl after the 2005 – 06 season . However , the Rose Bowl contract ran until 2010 . Keith Jackson , who was supposed to retire after the 1999 season , stayed in until 2005 , in which he announced games televised primarily from the west coast , where he is based . His last broadcast was the 2006 Rose Bowl . In 2000 , with Jackson cutting back his schedule , ABC began the year with the Jackson and Bob Griese team intact , albeit not as the lead one to handling almost exclusively Pac - 10 action ; Brent Musburger and Dan Fouts returning as was the long - time tandem of Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson . These assignments were not permanent and many different combinations were used ABC locked their broadcasters teams in mid - season . Jackson was teamed with Fouts , Musburger was paired with Danielson , and Nessler with Bob Griese . Prior to the addition of the 12th game on a permanent basis in 2002 , ABC aired pre - season classics including the " Kickoff Classic " and " Pigskin Classic " . In the 2005 season , ABC aired 77 games in 36 windows including the National Championship . 2006 – present . In recent years , there have been 2 set game windows in a typical week . Most Saturdays , there are regional games at 3 : 30 p . m . ET . Beginning with the 2006 season , ABC started regularly showing games at night under the " Saturday Night Football " umbrella , and noon - time games are telecast on an occasional basis . This marked a departure from 7 p . m . west - coast - only games ( ending after the 2006 season ) and occasional 8 p . m . games ( occurring every week as part of SNF ) . Also , the recently - developed " BCS spotlight game " was essentially replaced by Saturday Night Football . The 2006 season was marked by a lot of reshuffling in addition to Jackson , as Lynn Swann left for a failed political run , Aaron Taylor left to pursue a career change , and Gary Danielson went to CBS to cover SEC action . As a result Dan Fouts began calling play - by - play . ESPN , which is mostly owned by Disney , has also increased their presence on ABC over the years . The " College GameDay " personalities typically appear during halftime of the 3 : 30 game ( often to preview the " Saturday Night Football " game they may have done the show from ) and when they are on - site during the Saturday night game . In addition , the announcers have become increasingly interchangeable , starting in 2008 . From the 2006 season onward , as part of a network - wide rebranding of sports coverage , broadcasts on ABC are now presented under ESPN branding and graphics as " ESPN College Football on ABC " . During the 2006 , 2007 and 2008 seasons , the presenting sponsor was Best Buy . During 2009 , the presenting sponsor was Kay Jewelers . During 2010 and 2011 the presenting sponsor has been Buffalo Wild Wings . On November 18 , 2006 , ABC had the highest rating and most - viewed contest in over 13 years when # 1 Ohio State beat # 2 Michigan 42 – 39 . Personalities . Since 2009 , Sean McDonough has been the lead play - by - play man . John Saunders and Jesse Palmer make up the studio team . Robert Flores handles updates . Results . Oklahoma – Texas and Ohio State – Michigan are broadcast every year on ABC . ABC ' s bowl coverage consists of the Capital One Bowl . Features . Since 1981 , ABC has aired " College Football Countdown " before the slate of games at 3 : 00 pm ET with the studio crew . While ABC had exclusive rights to the BCS bowl games from 1998 to 2005 , they aired a " Bowl Championship Series Selection Show " after Championship Weekend ended on the Sunday after the games .