ESPN made a notable programming change the day after Indiana defeated Miami for the college football national championship.
Paul Finebaum, the network’s SEC-focused analyst who regularly appears on First Take, didn’t appear on the show following the title game. Instead, ESPN featured E.J. Manuel and Desmond Howard as college football analysts.
The decision caught the attention of media observers.
Matt Yoder from Awful Announcing suggested ESPN might be signaling “a changing of the guard” in its college football coverage.
Manuel played quarterback at Florida State in the ACC. Howard starred at Michigan in the Big Ten. Both conferences were represented in the championship game, with Indiana from the Big Ten beating Miami from the ACC.
“Of course, given the title game represented both conferences, it made all the sense in the world to showcase two analysts who know them well,” Yoder wrote. “But given that First Take has highlighted SEC loyalist Paul Finebaum all year, it was also quite the statement for where ESPN might go from here.”
The move comes after a disappointing postseason for the SEC. The conference’s teams struggled in the College Football Playoff, ending years of dominance in the sport.
ESPN’s choice to feature Manuel could indicate plans for a larger role. Manuel brings experience as a former ACC quarterback and has worked as an analyst for the network.
Howard’s appearance wasn’t as surprising. He’s already a regular on College GameDay and has been with ESPN for years.
Finebaum has been a central figure in ESPN’s college football coverage for years. His show and regular appearances have made him one of the network’s most recognizable college football personalities.
But the SEC’s struggles this postseason may have opened doors for analysts from other conferences.
“Love him or love to hate him, he is a dynamic personality who has been around the sport for decades,” Yoder wrote about Finebaum. “But while he and the SEC have had to eat a lot of crow this postseason, the end of their dominance over the sport might represent an opportunity for others to make their voices heard.”
It remains unclear if this represents a permanent shift in ESPN’s college football coverage. The network hasn’t announced any official changes to its analyst lineup.
The decision could reflect the changing landscape of college football. With expanded playoffs and conference realignment, the sport has become more national in scope.
Whether this translates to long-term changes in ESPN’s programming will become clearer during the offseason and into next season.
