ESPN has announced a sweeping push to broaden its college football coverage, enlisting former players Josh Pate, Will Compton and Taylor Lewan alongside veteran analyst Mike Foss to join the network’s expanding roster of contributors. The move comes as the network prepares to debut a Friday night show that will serve as a prelude to weekend matchups.
Herbstreit’s long‑standing grievance
Kirk Herbstreit, who has spent decades on College GameDay, used his platform to point out that ESPN has historically relegated college football to the margins of its morning schedule, instead prioritizing the NFL, NBA, MLB and other marquee events. He described the sport as the ‘second‑biggest’ in the United States and argued that the network’s focus has been misplaced.
In response, Herbstreit suggested that ESPN could move beyond a single Friday slot, envisioning a daily program that would bring the same level of depth and immediacy to college football that the NFL enjoys. The concept will be tested with ‘Bussin’ & Pate On Campus’, a weekend table‑setting show that will broadcast from the biggest games each Saturday and Sunday.
The conversation is unfolding against a backdrop of conference realignment, an expanded College Football Playoff and a transfer portal that has turned roster moves into a year‑round narrative. Networks such as FS1, The Ringer, USA and TNT Sports have also begun to invest more heavily in college football, recognizing the growing appetite among fans for year‑round coverage.
If the experiment proves successful, it could reshape how major sports networks allocate airtime, forcing a reevaluation of long‑standing programming priorities. For now, ESPN’s new hires and the upcoming Friday show represent a concrete step toward a more balanced, year‑round presence for a sport that continues to capture the nation’s attention.