College Football on TBS
Encyclopedia
College Football on TBS is the presentation of the Turner Broadcasting System
(TBS) cable channel
's regular season college football
television package.
. The games were aired under a special "supplemental" television contract with the NCAA. ESPN
followed later the same year, starting with a simulcast of the Independence Bowl
match-up between Kansas State
and the University of Wisconsin
on December 11, 1982, which was the first college football game shown live on ESPN.
When TBS (or WTBS as it was officially known at the time) first broadcast college football in 1982, they aired a package of live Saturday night games. WTBS was only able to show teams that had not been on national television in 1981
. There were a maximum of four teams that had been on regional television on two occasions. Meanwhile, ABC
and CBS
had the right to take away a game from WTBS as long as it did so no later than the Monday before the game. Bob Neal
and Tim Foley
were the booth commentators for WTBS during this period. Meanwhile, Craig Sager
, Paul Hornung
and Pepper Rodgers
anchored the pregame show for WTBS.
By 1984
, WTBS started (primarily) carrying SEC games.
–2006
, showing Big 12 and Pac-10 matchups. These were broadcast on the network as part of a sublicensing agreement with Fox Sports Net
, who is the national cable parter for both conferences. TBS' coverage was originally known as Big Play Saturday, but this was dropped before the final season. The network aired two games a week for the first four seasons of the contract but dropped to one for the final season.
's (featuring Kid Rock
and Dimebag Darrell
) 2003
cover of Elton John
's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
" was used as the theme song for TBS' Saturday Night College Football telecasts. In the show's open
, the song is accompanied by a drumline
and cymbalists, while clips of the two teams playing the night's featured game are interspersed throughout.
TBS would also use the NFL on TNT theme circa 1997
for their Carquest/MicronPC.com Bowl
and Senior Bowl
coverage and their Saturday Night College Football coverage from 2002
-2003
.
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
(TBS) cable channel
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
's regular season college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
television package.
Initial coverage
TBS became the first cable station to nationally broadcast college football live when it began airing games during the 1982 season1982 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Paul "Bear" Bryant retire as head coach at Alabama with 323 career victories in 38 seasons.The Penn State Nittany Lions won their first consensus national championship, closing out an 11-1 season by defeating Georgia and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel...
. The games were aired under a special "supplemental" television contract with the NCAA. ESPN
ESPN College Football
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, and ESPN Radio...
followed later the same year, starting with a simulcast of the Independence Bowl
1982 Independence Bowl
The 1982 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Kansas State Wildcats at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 11, 1982...
match-up between Kansas State
1982 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1982 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1982. The team's head football coach was Jim Dickey. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium....
and the University of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
on December 11, 1982, which was the first college football game shown live on ESPN.
When TBS (or WTBS as it was officially known at the time) first broadcast college football in 1982, they aired a package of live Saturday night games. WTBS was only able to show teams that had not been on national television in 1981
1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, taking the national championship after a victory over traditional power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied...
. There were a maximum of four teams that had been on regional television on two occasions. Meanwhile, ABC
College Football on ABC
ESPN College Football on ABC presented by Kay Jewelers is a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company's regular season American college football television package...
and CBS
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
had the right to take away a game from WTBS as long as it did so no later than the Monday before the game. Bob Neal
Bob Neal (Atlanta sportscaster)
Bob Neal is an American sportscaster. Currently, he can be seen as anchor of SportsNite, a daily sports show on Comcast Sports Southeast, serving thirteen southern states...
and Tim Foley
Tim Foley
Thomas David "Tim" Foley is a retired American football player.Foley starred at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois before moving on to Purdue University, where he received All-American honors as a defensive back in 1969. He then played 11 seasons , primarily with the Miami Dolphins of the...
were the booth commentators for WTBS during this period. Meanwhile, Craig Sager
Craig Sager
Craig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
, Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
and Pepper Rodgers
Pepper Rodgers
Franklin C. "Pepper" Rodgers is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head coach at the University of Kansas , University of California, Los Angeles , and the Georgia Institute of Technology , compiling a career college football record of...
anchored the pregame show for WTBS.
By 1984
1984 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Brigham Young University winning their first national championship by beating an unranked Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl...
, WTBS started (primarily) carrying SEC games.
2002-2006 coverage
TBS subsequently left the field for several years, but again broadcast college football games from 20022002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
–2006
2006 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 31, 2006 and, aside from all-star exhibition games that followed, concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on January 8, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona, where the #2 Florida...
, showing Big 12 and Pac-10 matchups. These were broadcast on the network as part of a sublicensing agreement with Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
, who is the national cable parter for both conferences. TBS' coverage was originally known as Big Play Saturday, but this was dropped before the final season. The network aired two games a week for the first four seasons of the contract but dropped to one for the final season.
Theme music
NickelbackNickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
's (featuring Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
and Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
) 2003
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
cover of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a rock song performed by musician Elton John and covered by W.A.S.P., Flotsam and Jetsam, Nickelback , Queen and The Who...
" was used as the theme song for TBS' Saturday Night College Football telecasts. In the show's open
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
, the song is accompanied by a drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
and cymbalists, while clips of the two teams playing the night's featured game are interspersed throughout.
TBS would also use the NFL on TNT theme circa 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
for their Carquest/MicronPC.com Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
and Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
coverage and their Saturday Night College Football coverage from 2002
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
-2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
.
Play-by-play
- Gary BenderGary BenderGary Bender is a retired American sportscaster and 2008 inductee in to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He officially retired, April 13, 2011, from Fox Sports Arizona network after 18 years calling the NBA Phoenix Suns games.-Early career:...
- Chip Caray
- Skip CaraySkip CarayHarry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball...
- Kevin HarlanKevin HarlanKevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
- Verne LundquistVerne LundquistMerton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
- Bob NealBob Neal (Atlanta sportscaster)Bob Neal is an American sportscaster. Currently, he can be seen as anchor of SportsNite, a daily sports show on Comcast Sports Southeast, serving thirteen southern states...
- Lindsey NelsonLindsey NelsonLindsey Nelson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of college football and New York Mets baseball.-Early life and career:...
- Ron Thulin
- Pete van WierenPete Van WierenPete van Wieren is a former American sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.-Atlanta Braves:...
- After joining TBS Sports in 19751975 in sports1975 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...
, he covered the Atlanta FlamesAtlanta FlamesThe Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
of the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
college football games on TBS, the Atlanta HawksAtlanta HawksThe Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
and Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
pre-season football.
Color commentators
- Trev AlbertsTrev AlbertsTrev Kendall Alberts is the director of athletics for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Before assuming this position, he was an American television and print college football commentator, most notably working alongside Mark May on the ESPN's College GameDay Scoreboard show.-Collegiate:Alberts...
- Charles Davis
- Archie GriffinArchie GriffinArchie Mason Griffin is a former American football running back. Griffin played seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He is college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner...
- Pat HadenPat HadenPatrick Capper "Pat" Haden is the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 to 1981...
- Paul HornungPaul HornungPaul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
- Tim FoleyTim FoleyThomas David "Tim" Foley is a retired American football player.Foley starred at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois before moving on to Purdue University, where he received All-American honors as a defensive back in 1969. He then played 11 seasons , primarily with the Miami Dolphins of the...
- Mark MayMark MayMark Eric May is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN.-Football career:...
- Alan PageAlan PageAlan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...
- Tom Ransey
- Dave RoweDave Rowe (American football)David Homeyer "Dave" Rowe is a former American football defensive tackle in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, the New England Patriots, the San Diego Chargers, the Oakland Raiders, and the Baltimore Colts....
- Sam WycheSam WycheSamuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
Sideline reporters
- Erin AndrewsErin AndrewsErin Jill Andrews is an American sportscaster, journalist, and television personality. As of 2011 she is a co-host of the ESPN entertainment show College GameDay and a contributor for Good Morning America on the ABC network...
- She worked as a studio host for Turner SportsTurner SportsTurner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
from 2002–04, covering the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and college football for TBS and Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
and Atlanta HawksAtlanta HawksThe Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
for Turner SouthTurner SouthTurner South was an American cable television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States...
. - Marc FeinMarc FeinMarc Fein is a sports journalist,sports news anchor, and television sports studio host, currently one of the main studio hosts for the NBA TV show, NBA Gametime Live. He is also the host of its show, The Beat, and has been the substitute host for Ernie Johnson on the NBA on TNT...
- Craig SagerCraig SagerCraig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
- Sager reported from the sideline for TBS' Pac-10/Big 12 college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coverage from 2002 to 2006. He also served as the sideline reporter for the 50th annual Delchamps Senior Bowl from Ladd Memorial Stadium in Mobile, AL, and the 1998 and 2000 Micron PC Bowl, formerly known as the Carquest Bowl.
See also
- List of Champs Sports Bowl broadcasters (1995 (December)-20002000 MicronPC.com BowlThe 2000 MicronPC.com Bowl was the 11th edition of the college football bowl game which featured the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the North Carolina State Wolfpack.-Game summary:...
) - List of Gator Bowl broadcasters (19931993 Gator BowlThe 1993 Outback Gator Bowl, part of the 1993 bowl game season, took place on December 31, 1993, at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Atlantic Coast Conference...
-19941994 Gator BowlThe 1994 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the and the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on December 30, 1994...
) - List of Insight Bowl broadcasters (19891989 Copper BowlThe 1989 edition to the Copper Bowl featured the Arizona Wildcats and the .Arizona scored first on a 37 yard touchdown pass from Ronald Veal to Olatide Ogundiditimi giving Arizona a 7-0 lead throughout the 1st quarter. In the second quarter, with NC State driving, Shane Montgomery's pass was...
-19911991 Copper BowlThe 1991 edition to the Copper Bowl featured the Indiana Hoosiers and the .In the first quarter, Indiana quarterback Trent Green scored on a 1 yard touchdown run making it 7-0 Indiana. In the second quarter, Indiana got a 27 yard field goal from Bonnell making the lead 10-0. Vaughn Dunbar scored on...
) - List of Outback Bowl broadcasters (1983-19861986 All-American BowlThe 1986 All-American Bowl featured a meeting between the and the . FSU, coached by Bobby Bowden, had a 6-4-1 record going into the bowl game and Indiana, coached by Bill Mallory had a 6–5 record.-Game summary:...
)