ESPN, CBS and Fox release times and networks for 61 college games; Talent listed for all telecasts

Current weekend schedule click here: October 5-6 Wknd NFL Week #5: CBS and Fox regional geography; Schedules for the 4 networks; and full list of announcers

And you wonder why, there was only one Keith Jackson. For one thing, he was the best. His command of the language, his ease, his warmth and his comfort behind the microphone. 

But until 1984 when the Supreme Court ended the NCAA’s monopoly over college football regular season telecasts, there was generally only one national telecast each Saturday. ESPN, just five years young then, hopped right on the opportunity and in time the number of college football telecasts exploded. In time too, ESPN spread its wings, ESPN2, U, Classic and News. In time too, there was Fox and it family of collaborators, the vertical sports networks, satellite services and online video.

By my count, there are 61 DI telecasts alone this weekend and probably more involving other schools. It means some 122 announcers. ABC’s Jackson and Chris Schenkel before him had the canvas to themselves. 

Anyhow, here you go. Announcers for all 61 telecasts!

One name I came across was Roger Twibell, an institution in Boston for decades. He’ll be 70 next month an he’s doing the Southern Illinois-Arkansas State game on ESPN+. I thought he had retired. Always, a solid broadcaster who had also done done work for ABC Sports.

Anyhow. good viewing, whether you remember these announcers names or not. 

Jake Baskin profiles Carter Blackburn, who’s behind Brad Nessler on the CBS depth chart for college football announcers. He’s got the Auburn at Texas A&M game

Thursday, Sept. 19

Houston at Tulane | 8 p.m. | ESPN Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck

Friday, Sept. 20

Florida International at Louisiana Tech | 8 p.m. | CBSSN, Jason Horowitz, Mailk Zaire

Air Force at (20) Boise State | 9 p.m. | ESPN2, Dave Flemming, Jim Mora

(10) Utah at Southern California | 9 p.m. | FS1, Joe Davis, Brock Huard

Saturday, Sept. 21

(4) LSU at Vanderbilt | 12 p.m. | SEC Network, Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers

Morgan State at Army | 12 p.m. | CBSSN, Ben Holden, Ross Tucker

Tennessee at  (9) Florida | 12 p.m. | ESPN, Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky

Boston College at Rutgers | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network, Joe Beninati, Shaun O’Hara

(11) Michigan at  (13) Wisconsin | 12 p.m. | FOX, Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt

Elon at Wake Forest | 12 p.m. | ACC Network Extra, Evan Lepler, Takeo Spikes

Southern Miss at  (2) Alabama | 12 p.m. | ESPN2, Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer

UL Monroe at Iowa State | 12 p.m. | FS1, Brian Custer, Robert Smith

Western Michigan at Syracuse | 12 p.m. | ACC Network, Wes Durham, Roddy Jones

UConn at Indiana | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network, Lisa Byington, J. Leman

(23) California at Ole Miss | 12 p.m. | ESPNU, Clay Matvick, Ryan Leaf

Michigan State at Northwestern | 12 p.m. | ABC, Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy

Coastal Carolina at UMass | 1 p.m. | FloSports/NESB, Josh Maurer, Andy Gresh

 Louisiana at Ohio | 2 p.m. | ESPN+, Jay Barbar, John Gregory

Troy at Akron | 3 p.m. | ESPN+, Doug Sherman, Forrest Conoly

SMU at  (25) TCU | 3:30 p.m. | FS1, Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman

(8)Auburn at (17) Texas A&M | 3:30 p.m. | CBS, Carter Blackburn, Rick Neuheisel, Aaron Murray

Central Connecticut at Eastern Michigan | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN3, Chris Voster, Marcus Ray

Bowling Green at Kent State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN3, Mike Reghi, Dustin Fox

South Alabama at UAB | 3:30 p.m. | NFL Network, Rhett Lewis, Max Starks

Louisville at Florida State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN, Mark Jones, Dusty, Dvoracek

Wyoming at Tulsa | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN, John Sadak, Randy Cross

(15) UCF at Pitt | 3:30 p.m. | ABC/ESPN2, Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore

Temple at Buffalo |3:30 p. m. |ESPNU, Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia

Miami (OH) at (6) Ohio State | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network, Brandon Gaudin, James Laurinatis

(22) Washington at BYU | 3:30 p.m. | ABC/ESPN2, Steve Levy, Brian Griese

Appalachian State at North Carolina | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network Extra, Tom Werme, James Bates

Kentucky at Mississippi State | 4 p.m. | SEC Network, Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb

Central Michigan at Miami | 4 p.m. | ACC Network, Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich

South Carolina at Missouri | 4 p.m. | SEC Network, Mike Morgan, Ray Bentley

New Mexico State at New Mexico | 4:30 p.m. | AT&T Sportsnet, Brad Thompson, Sed Bonner

West Virginia at Kansas | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN+, Dave Lamont, Mike Golic, Jr.

William & Mary at East Carolina | 6 p.m. | ESPN3, Joel Meyers, Stan Lewter

Hampton at Liberty | 6 p.m. | ESPN+, Matt Warner, Joe Jauch

Wagner at Florida Atlantic | 6 p.m. | ESPN+, Frank Forte, Jason Pugh

Baylor at Rice | 7 p.m. | CBSSN, DaveRyan, Corey Chavous

Southern Illinois at Arkansas State | 7 p.m. | ESPN3, Roger Twibell, Pete Cordelli

Ball State at N.C. State | 7 p.m. | ESPNU, Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks

Old Dominion at (21) Virginia | 7 p.m. | ESPN2, Kevin Brown, Andre Ware

Georgia State at Texas State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+,  Brant Freeman, Joplo Bartu

(16) Oregon at Stanford | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge

San Jose State at Arkansas | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network, Dave Neal, D. J. Shockley

Charlotte at (1) Clemson | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network, Dave O’Brien, Tim Hasselbeck

UTSA at North Texas | 7:30 p.m. | Stadium on Facebook, Chris Hassel, AJ Hawk

Oklahoma State at (12) Texas | 7:30 p.m. | ABC, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit

(7) Notre Dame at (3) Georgia | 8 p.m. | CBS, Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson

Nebraska at Illinois | 8 p.m. | Big Ten Network, Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen

Nevada at UTEP | 8 p.m. | ESPN3, Andy Morgan, Trevor Vittatoe

Sacramento State at Fresno State | 10 p.m. | Facebook, Ari Wolfe, David Carr

Colorado at (24) Arizona State | 10 p.m. | Pac-12 Networks, Ted Robinson, Yogi Ruth

Toledo at Colorado State | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN2, Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison

Utah State at San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSSN, Rich Waltz, Aaron Taylor

UCLA at (19) Washington State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN, Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht

Central Arkansas at Hawai’i | 11:59 p.m. | Spectrum Sports, Robert Kekaula, Rich Mian

CARTER BLACKBURN

Carter Blackburn has the call on the early game of CBS’s Saturday doubleheader, Auburn and Texas A&M, his first broadcast on the big network this season. He is working this game alongside former Colorado, Washington, and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel and former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, the latter of whom is making his broadcast television debut.

Blackburn has been calling games since he was in high school, becoming the sports director of a radio station in his hometown of Kerrville, Texas as a junior. A couple years after graduating from Syracuse, he was hired by CSTV, now the CBS Sports Network, as a football, basketball, and baseball announcer. He would call his first NCAA Tournament game for CBS in 2008 before his 29th birthday, as a fill-in for Dick Enberg.

Blackburn made his NFL broadcasting debut in 2005 at the age of 26 for Fox, making him one of the youngest announcers to call an NFL game. ESPN lured him away from CBS in 2009 in a multi-sport role that also included college softball and lacrosse, but CBS brought him back in 2014 as the lead announcer for the CBS Sports Network and their #2 college football voice.