ESPN to Kick Off College Football Season with 25 Hours of College Football August 29-30

- Rece Davis to Host All 25 Hours of Coverage
- ESPN.com to Provide a 25-Hour Chat; Expanded College Football Coverage on ESPNEWS

August 22, 2007 -- College football fans anxiously awaiting the 2007 season to begin will be served a healthy dose of pre-season coverage on ESPN with 25 Hours of College Football Presented by TIVO hosted throughout by Rece Davis. ESPN’s innovative way to celebrate the season kick-off will begin Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. ET and feature 25 consecutive hours of college football-themed programming leading up to the #2 LSU at Mississippi State telecast Thursday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

The schedule will include six special editions of College Football Live, while ESPN’s regularly scheduled programming – such as SportsCenter, NFL Live, PTI, Rome is Burning, Around the Horn and Outside the Lines – will provide extensive college football content. Davis will host every college football show and segments in non-college football programs during the 25 hours of coverage. Highlights of the coverage:

* Twenty-five Hours of College Football will kick off Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. with a four-hour edition of College Football Live. The program will include:

o Coverage of #1 USC’s practice and pep rallies at #10 Louisville, #19 Florida State and Mississippi State;
o Interviews with numerous coaches and players;
o Reports from #9 Virginia Tech as the team and fans prepare for the first game since the April 16 shooting tragedy;
o Ten roundtable segments with ESPN analysts discussing topics such as playoffs or BCS, best quarterback, what Florida school will win the most games, most overrated team in the pre-season polls, toughest place to play, how many games Notre Dame and Alabama will win this season, will USC lose, what player is worth buying a ticket to see and what current coach is best to have on the sideline for a key game.
o A Notre Dame coaches roundtable with host Brent Musburger and former Irish coaches Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz and Charlie Weis discussing what it is like to coach at Notre Dame.

* ESPN.com will offer a 25-hour chat to coincide with the 25 Hours of College Football.

* A two-hour College Football Live Thursday, Aug. 30 from 3 to 5 a.m. will include live phone interviews with #23 Hawaii Coach June Jones and quarterback Colt Brennan.

* ESPNEWS will offer expanded college football coverage throughout the 25 hours including press conferences from top coaches, preview of the season opening weekend and analysis from ESPN’s college football experts from around the country.

* Analysts contributing during the 25 hours will include Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Mark May, Lou Holtz, Bob Davie, Andre Ware, Todd Blackledge, Desmond Howard, Doug Flutie, Chris Spielman, Craig James, Rod Gilmore, Jim Donnan, Robert Smith and James Hasty. Beano Cook will provide his unique commentary.

ESPN’s 25 Hours of College Football schedule

(Rece Davis will host every College Football Live and segments in non-college football programs)

Date / Time / Show

8/29: 7 p.m.
College Football Live: Live shots from the ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU Thursday night game telecasts; live coverage of the USC practice and interviews with coaches and players; live coverage of Louisville, Florida State and Mississippi State pep rallies plus interviews with coaches and players from both teams; live interviews with various coaches, including West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez; Notre Dame coaches roundtable with host Brent Musburger and former coaches Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz and Charlie Weis.

8/29: 11 p.m.
SportsCenter

8/30: midnight
College Football Live

8/30: 12:30 a.m.
NFL Live

8/30: 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.
SportsCenter

8/30: 3 a.m.
College Football Live: Live updates with live interviews with Hawaii coach June Jones and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan

8/30: 5 a.m.
SportsCenter

8/30: Noon
College Football Live

8/30: 3 p.m.
Outside the Lines

8/30: 3:30 p.m.
College Football Live

8/30: 4 p.m.
NFL Live

8/30: 4:30 p.m.
Rome is Burning

8/30: 5 p.m.
Around the Horn