College football is a sport that is loved by many people. Fans, players, and coaches all love college football. College football has been around for a long time and it will continue to be around for many years to come.
The college football season is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the return of some of the best college football shows on television. From in-depth analysis to heated debates, these shows provide diehard fans with everything they need to get ready for another exciting season of college football.
College football has been at the heart of American culture for more than a century, hence, fans want to know the best college football Shows available. The sport has been part of our lives for as long as we can remember and it’s only with the advent of television that we’ve had the opportunity to follow so many teams. While there are only so many hours in a day, here at HuffPost UK Sports we’re constantly looking for ways to fill them up with content about college sports. From highlights on ESPN to analysis from Fox Sports and Bleacher Report, these shows cover everything from recruiting rankings to analysis from reporters who understand the game inside out.
It is also about the atmosphere and the enjoyment of watching it with other fans.
Channels To Watch College Football Shows
Don’t miss a deal! Major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox broadcast college football games. These networks show the best college Football Shows.
15 Best College Football Shows of all Time
To help you prepare for the upcoming season, we’ve compiled a list of the 15 best college football shows of all time. This list includes a mix of shows that are currently on the air, as well as some that have unfortunately been cancelled.
No matter what your preference is, there’s sure to be a college football show on this list that you’ll love. So without further ado, let’s get started.
#1. ESPN’s College GameDay (1987-present)
This show ranks number one in the list of best college football shows.
College GameDay is a pre-game show broadcast by ESPN as part of its coverage of college football, broadcast on Saturday mornings during the college football season, before the start of games at midnight ET kickoff.
The show originates from ESPN’s campus in Bristol, Connecticut and has been telecast since 1987 as one of ABC Sports’ flagship programs – along with Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football – even though it is only shown live within the United States and not internationally due to contractual restrictions by its parent network (although this has been waived for some years). The program is also broadcast on other networks such as DirecTV (formerly VERSUS), Dish Network (formerly DISH Network) and AT&T Uverse/Verizon Fios before moving over exclusively onto ESPN in 2009.
#2. College Football Final (1993-present)
The College Football Final was produced by ESPN and aired on ABC until 2005 when it moved over to ESPN. The show has aired on Sunday nights at 7:00 pm ET since 2006 and is still one of the most popular events in college football today.
You can find this show on the second list of the best college football shows.
The show features highlights from all three games of the championship weekend as well as analysis from analysts such as Kirk Herbstreit and Peter Burns.
#3. SportsCenter (1979-present)
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television program that airs on ESPN and ESPN2, airing live each weekday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET, with an additional broadcast or two scheduled for weekend afternoons. The show originated as a late-night program called SportsNight, which premiered on August 13, 1979, as part of ESPN’s launch.[1] After being renamed SportsNight II in 1980,[2] it became simply SportsCenter (a title previously used by baseball telecasts) in 1982.
It has been hosted by various anchors since its first incarnation as well as current hosts such as Hannah Storm (who replaced Suzy Kolber), Stuart Scott, Keith Olbermann and John Saunders among others who all have become legendary figures within their respective fields. This show ranks third on the list of best college football shows.
#4. ESPN College Football Primetime (1987-2006, 2014-present)
ESPN College Football Primetime is the most-watched broadcast in college football. It’s been airing on ESPN since 1987, but its roots go back even further than that: the show’s first episode aired on ABC in 1972 as “The Saturday Game of the Week,” which was produced by ABC Sports and was hosted by Al McGuire until he left for NBC Sports shortly after that year.
This show ranks fourth among the best college football shows.
In 2006, ESPN decided to revamp their college football programming and create a new show titled College Football Primetime (later shortened simply to ESPN College Football Primetime). The show has remained mostly unchanged since then—with some minor tweaks here and there—but it remains one of the most popular shows on any network when it comes to covering college sports!
#5. The Tim Brando Show (2000-present)
The Tim Brando Show is a sports talk show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio that airs Monday through Friday from 12:00 to 3:00 PM ET. It is hosted by Tim Brando, who has been the voice of the Miami Dolphins since 1998. The show focuses on various aspects of sports and includes interviews with athletes, coaches and other personalities in the world of sports.
The program also holds an annual “Best College Football Player” poll (formerly known as National Player of the Year) where fans vote for their favourite college football players from around America. In addition to these polls conducted by SiriusXM listeners every year since 2000, there were two other polls conducted by CBS Sports Network in 2008 and 2009 called “Best College Football Program” (formerly known as Best College Football Showcase) where fans voted for their favourite college football programs based off how well they represented themselves during games or practices/training sessions etcetera…
This show ranks fifth among the best college football shows.
#6. Fox Sports College Football Preview Show (2005-2007, 2014–2016; 2008–2013, 2018–present as SEC Nation)
This show ranks sixth among the best college football shows.
The show played host to many famous coaches and analysts, including Jim Tressel, Larry Coker, Mark Richt and Bo Pelini. In addition, to live commentary on the network broadcasts, it also featured prerecorded segments featuring former players’ reactions to games.
In 2008, Fox Sports began airing a new version of the program called Fox College Football Preview Show (2008–2018). The show updated its format slightly with a new host(s) Phil Savage who replaced Joe Maddon in November 2017; it retained its title as “The Best Weeknight College Football Coverage on Television.”
#7. The Herd with Colin Cowherd (2004-2015, 2017–present on Fox; 2015–2017 on FS1)
The Herd with Colin Cowherd was a sports news and opinion show hosted by Colin Cowherd. It aired on Fox Sports Net and later Fox Sports 1 from 2004 to 2015, before moving over to FS1 in 2017. The show focused on college football and often featured guests discussing the latest news in the sport.
This show ranks seventh among the best college football shows.
#8. Sport Science (2007–2015, 2017–present on NFL Network; 2016 on FS1; 2016 on ESPN)
This show ranks eighth among the best college football shows.
Sport Science is a sports-themed television program that airs on ESPN and NFL Network. The show is hosted by John Brenkus and produced by Nerdist Industries.
The first episode of the show aired on August 17, 2007, on ESPN2 and featured an interview with Ray Lewis as he prepared for his final season with the Baltimore Ravens. The second episode aired on November 1st 2008 during halftime of Game 2 between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat (featuring Tim Tebow’s performance). That same year it won Best Sports Show at both TCA Awards & Critics’ Choice Television Awards.[4] In 2009, it won Best Science Program at Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.[5] In 2010 it won Best Entertainment News Or Information Source or Program at Gracie Award Ceremony (USA).[6] Sport Science has also received other awards including Favorite Cable Sports Show at TCA Awards[7] & Favorite Nonfiction Program/Series – Special Interest Category at Broadcast Television Journalists Association Excellence In Journalism Award Ceremony.
#9. Jim Rome is Burning (2003-2012)
This show ranks ninth among the best college football shows.
Jim Rome is Burning was a sports talk radio show hosted by Jim Rome that aired on Fox Sports Net. The show was cancelled in 2012 and replaced with another similar program, The Herd With Colin Cowherd, which ran until 2015. This show featured comedy sketches, interviews with sports figures and celebrities, as well as an occasional live segment called “Romeo & Juliet” where two guests would fight over the same woman until one person said something insulting about the other to the woman involved in their argument.
Learn more about the college football show
#10. College GameDay Built by the Home Depot (1993-present)
College GameDay Built by the Home Depot is a pre-game show broadcast by ESPN as part of its coverage of college football, which airs on Saturday mornings during the season. The show originated in 1993 and is hosted by Rece Davis and Lee Corso. From 1993 to 2015, it was called ESPN College Football GameDay on ABC (where it moved from Monday nights). From 2016 to 2017, it was called ESPN Saturday Night/Sunday Morning; from 2018 to the present day (and beyond), it has been known as College GameDay Built by The Home Depot.
The show features analysis from Tom Rinaldi and Desmond Howard with guest analysts such as former players or coaches.
This show ranks tenth among the best college football shows.
#11. Pardon the Interruption (2001-present)
The show was originally called “Pardon the Interruption” and aired on ESPN from 2001 to 2004. It moved to NBC Sports Network in 2005, where it stayed until 2008; then back to ESPN for a time before moving its studio operations over to ABC Sports in 2011. The program is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who have been together since 1988 when they first worked together at WFAN Radio in New York City before moving onto CBS Radio Sports Talk 1010AM/FM (now WCBS FM). They’re known for their fast-paced format and witty banter between them during each episode’s discussions about sports news stories that come up throughout the week—or even just how those stories affect one particular team or player.
This show ranks eleventh among the best college football shows.
#12. NFL Films Presents (2001-present)
NFL Films Presents was a documentary series that aired on the NFL Network from 2001 to 2007. It was hosted by Steve Sabol and narrated by Liev Schreiber. The series focused on historical moments, such as Super Bowls and playoff games, but also featured behind-the-scenes looks at players’ lives off the field (most notably with John Madden).
This show ranks twelfth among the best college football shows.
The revival of NFL Films Presents was announced in 2012, but it was discontinued after its third season due to low viewership numbers.
#13. Inside the NFL (1977, 1978, 2003–2007 [Showtime], 2008, 2012 [Showtime], 2013–2017 [Showtime]; 1977, 1978 [HBO], 1979 [Cinemax]; 2001–2002 [Cinemax]; 2002–2009, 2011 [HBO]; 2009–2011 [Showtime])
Inside the NFL is a television show produced by NFL Films and broadcast by Showtime since 1977. The show has been nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards, winning one. The program covers news and highlights from the National Football League on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays while also having special episodes covering different topics throughout the year including Super Bowls as well as Pro Bowls, Hall of Fame inductions, draft picks and much more!
The show was created in 1977 by David Braunstein who owned Sports Illustrated magazine at that time before selling it to Rupert Murdoch’s Times Mirror Co., today known as tronc Inc., which owns this network along with many others like The New York Times Company (NYT), News Corp Limited (NWSA) etc…
Inside The NFL’s main host Don Criqui has been involved with all four versions of this series including hosting two seasons with Ron Jaworski as commentator between 1985-1987 before returning from 1991 onwards till 2003 when he retired from broadcasting altogether leaving us with only one version left until today!
This show ranks thirteenth among the best college football shows.
#14. Around the Horn (2002-present)
Around the Horn is hosted by Tony Reali and features a panel of four ESPN personalities: Jay Bilas, Jay Harris, Bruce, Feldman and Pablo Torre. The show airs on both ESPN networks (SportsCenter and SportsCenter Extra) as well as ESPNEWS.
This show ranks fourteenth among the best college football shows.
The format of this show centres around discussing sports news and debate topics with the panellists. The discussions often include guest interviews from people in sports media such as sportswriters or TV personalities who have something interesting to say about a topic being discussed.
Around the Horn begins each episode with Reali introducing all four members of his panel before going around it clockwise so that each member gets equal time during each segment.
#15. The Civil War
This game is played in Athens, Georgia and it is also the annual battle between Georgia and Auburn every year on November 23rd since 1892.
This show ranks fifteenth among the best college football shows.
Conclusion
College football is a sport with a rich history and a wide-ranging cultural impact. From the days of the Ivy League to today’s cable networks, there are plenty of compelling programming options for fans of all levels. And if you want even more college football content, check out our list of the best shows about football!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which collegiate sports are the most profitable?
It’s no news that the most profitable collegiate sport is football. There’s an average of $31.9 million for every school annually.
How long do college athletes practice?
Every week, a student who wants to come out refined has to practice for a minimum of 21 hours.
Are college athletes compensated?
College athletes in some states can now earn good money from their hard work. It is now legalized in California.
Do science students have opportunities in the sports fields?
Yes, there are opportunities. They include Health advice officers, Sports physiotherapists, and health services leaders amongst many others.
Can I get college football tickets at the same price when the game is closer?
Prices of tickets fluctuate. It can be higher or lesser.
Do ticket-selling platforms offer refunds?
Yes, you can get a refund.
In a case where the game gets cancelled, tickets would be refunded.
References:
https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-football-Top-25-rankings-best-programs-all-time-Ohio-State-Alabama-Michigan-Texas-Georgia – Ranking college football’s 25 best programs of all time
https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/lists/college-football-news-uses-ap-top-25-to-rank-best-all-time-football-programs/ – College Football News uses AP Top 25 to rank best all-time football programs
https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/sports-tv/best-sports-series/ – The 23 Best TV Shows About Sports
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