When Football Season Begins, It Will Be Covered by a Dramatically Different Media Thanks to Huge Turnover
By Kyle Koster
Nearly a year ago, we conducted a pair of media drafts to build our own fictional television networks — one for college football and one for the NFL. Since then, the industry has undergone dramatic change. Wholesale layoffs at ESPN hit front-facing talent particularly hard. Long-tenured and venerable voices hung up their microphones and rode into retirement.
Revisiting these drafts, it’s striking how much turnover has taken place in such a short period of time. Even by a conservative reading, 15 of the 54 personalities selected in the college football version are no longer with the same company, or have transitioned into significantly different roles within the same company. And that doesn’t even include Tim Tebow, who has struck gold with his powerful baseball swing.
College Football
First Round
Kirk Herbstreit
Tim Tebow: Not technically a change as he signed a multi-year extension with ESPN and will appear on the SEC Network when the season kicks off. But it should be noted that he is currently a baseball player, and is performing quite well.
Joe Tessitore
Rece Davis
Verne Lundquist: Retired from the college football booth.
Gus Johnson
Second Round
Todd Blackledge
Paul Finebaum
Brent Musburger: Retired to pursue his real passion: over-unders.
Chris Fowler
Lee Corso
Bruce Feldman: Still employed by Fox as a sideline reporter but now will write for Sports Illustrated after the hard pivot to video.
Third Round
Scott Van Pelt
Jesse Palmer: No longer working the booth with Musburger. Studio guy now.
Clay Travis
Danny Kanell: Laid off from ESPN.
Steve Spurrier: Drafted on speculation, but taking his talents back to the Florida program.
Stewart Mandel: No longer with Fox. Heading college football vertical for The Athletic.
Fourth Round
Sam Ponder: Replaced Chris Berman as host of Sunday NFL Countdown.
Greg McElroy
Gary Danielson
Brett McMurphy: Laid off from ESPN.
Molly McGrath
Joel Klatt
Fifth Round
Dan Wetzel
Adnan Virk
Andy Staples
Pat Forde
Pete Thamel: No longer with Sports Illustrated. Now with Yahoo.
Tim Brando
Sixth Round
Matt Leinart
Taylor Rooks: Left Big Ten Network for SportsNet New York.
Kaylee Hartung: Left ESPN for CNN.
Allie LaForce
Steve Levy
Rick Neuheisel
Seventh Round
Brad Nessler: Left ESPN after 24 years and spent much of 2016 watching games from home. He’ll replace Verne Lundquist in CBS’ top booth.
Travis Haney: Contract was not renewed by ESPN.
Robert Smith
Tom Rinaldi
Rob Stone
Todd McShay
Eighth Round
David Pollack
Doug Flutie
Desmond Howard
Ed Cunningham
Jordan Rodgers
Holly Rowe
Ninth Round
Marcus Spears
Ty Duffy: No longer with The Big Lead.
Brock Huard
Thayer Evans
Steve Sarkisian: Left Fox for Alabama, then left Alabama for the Atlanta Falcons.
Ted Miller
By comparison, the NFL draft saw less turnover as just 14 of 84 picks qualify, although, it should be noted that huge names like Chris Berman and Tom Jackson are included.
NFL
Round 1
Matthew Berry
Adam Schefter
Cris Collinsworth
Al Michaels
Dan Patrick
Mel Kiper Jr.
Round 2
Jim Nantz
Jay Glazer
Peter King
Mike Florio
Rich Eisen
Louis Riddick
Round 3
Troy Aikman
Charles Woodson
James Brown
John Clayton: Laid off at ESPN. Continued his radio show.
Joe Buck
Chris Mortensen
Round 4
Todd McShay
Howie Long
Randy Moss
Mike Mayock
Chris Spielman
Tom Jackson: Retired from ESPN.
Round 5
Cousin Sal
Mike Tirico: Was given the green light to call Thursday Night Football games after a few false starts.
Rachel Nichols
Trey Wingo
Bill Simmons: No longer with HBO on any given Wednesday.
Chris Berman: Only doing select assignments.
Round 6
Bill Cowher
Steve Mariucci
Erin Andrews
Bill Barnwell
Joel Klatt
Albert Breer
Round 7
Matt Hasselbeck
Tracy Wolfson
Kevin Harlan
Jimmy Johnson
Michael Silver
Tony Gonzalez: Left The NFL Today, is now with Fox.
Round 8
Bart Scott: Also out at The NFL Today.
Phil Simms: Lost his spot next to Jim Nantz in CBS’ top booth to unproven Tony Romo.
Scott Hanson
Trent Dilfer: Laid off from ESPN.
Jon Gruden
Sean McDonough
Round 9
Britt McHenry: Laid off from ESPN.
Herm Edwards
Michelle Tafoya
Ron Jaworski: Seems to not know if he has a job at ESPN, which should be interesting.
Field Yates
Dan Fouts
Round 10
Pam Oliver
Michael Strahan
Doug Farrar
Marshall Faulk
Cynthia Frelund
Charissa Thompson
Round 11
Adam Caplan: Laid off from ESPN.
Katie Nolan: Where art thou, Katie Nolan?
Key & Peele
Jason Lisk: Still kickin’.
Solomon Wilcots: No longer working the sidelines at CBS.
Frank Caliendo
Round 12
Mike Clay
Pete Prisco
Nick Bakay
Mike Pereira
Peter Schrager
Heather Cox
Round 13
Colin Cowherd
Dan Wetzel
Amy Trask
Ian Rapoport
PFT Commenter
Daniel Jeremiah
Round 14
Adam Schein
Michael Schottey — now the executive editor at Travel Pulse.
Tiki Barber
Chase Stuart
Cleatus the Robot
Josh Norman
In total, 29 of 138 picks qualify. Again, this is a conservative estimate–others may be revealed as the season begins–and it still comes to more than 20 percent of what can be considered as the top of the field. Change has been real this past year, meaning coverage will look — and sound — much different this coming season.