ESPN sending broadcasting “A Team” to Texas A&M football for opener against Notre Dame
The list of reasons that Texas A&M football vs. Notre Dame is a big time matchup just keeps growing longer. One of only three ranked vs. ranked games for the entire weekend, the Aggies and Fighting Irish have grabbed the headline spot on ESPN’s broadcasting schedule, kicking off in prime time on ABC.
Not only that, but College Station will also be the site of College Gameday in week 1, bringing even more visibility to the program in Mike Elko’s inaugural game. The program that has become a Saturday morning tradition in the fall is always a boon to the school that hosts, no matter what your opinion of Pat McAfee is.
It was presumed, as well, that the Aggies would get the top announcing crew that ESPN has to offer, given the timeslot and channel of their game. That has now been confirmed, as Matt Fortuna reports that Chris Fowler, Kirk Hebstreit, and Holly Rowe will be working Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame.
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will have the call on ABC for Notre Dame-Texas A&M next Saturday, Aug. 31.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) August 20, 2024
Herbstreit, Rowe and Rece Davis will call LSU-USC on ESPN the following night in Las Vegas.
As someone who has watched every game since 2012, the first time I remember both Fowler and Herbie in College Station announcing a game was the 2014 loss to Ole Miss. When Clemson visited in 2018, we heard Rece Davis and Herbstreit on the call, but Fowler was absent. Both were again in College Station for the game against Miami in 2022.
I know that Fowler and Herbie have not always been names that every Texas A&M fan is crazy about, especially after the 2020 season, but it’s still cool to have the tandem widely thought of as the top announcing duo in the sport back on campus. It’s been a rarity to see them in College Station, as up until this year, premier A&M games would air on CBS instead.
However, since the SEC has now signed a broadcast rights deal with ABC/ESPN, we will no longer hear the dulcet tones of Brad Nessler and the markedly less dulcet tones of Gary Danielson accompanying Aggie football. Instead, it will be the pair that have formed the soundtrack to national championship games over the last decade in Fowler and Herbstreit, beginning with the opener now only ten days away.