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ESPN Dropped Its ‘SEC On ABC’ Teaser And College Football Season Can’t Come Quick Enough

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by Last Updated
A logo at midfield before the SEC Championship.

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ESPN released an “SEC on ABC” teaser this week showing graphics and potential intro videos for respective teams. The sneak peek has everyone ready for college football season.

It gave viewers a preview of what’s to come this fall as the conference transitions into a new era. Previously affiliated with CBS, the SEC’s contract with the network ended after a long, dominant streak.

CBS opted to move onto the Big Ten, with the league swiping its rival’s patented mid-afternoon slot. The channel paid quite the price for its new partner, doling out 7x the amount paid to the SEC as part of a historic billion-dollar partnership that also includes NBC and FOX.

The Big Ten is in the midst of a few blockbuster TV agreements that could result in the league landing more than $1 billion annually in media rights. The conference is looking to sign deals with three of the four major cable networks in order to air both football and basketball matchups.

Andrew Marchand of the NY Post reports that the Big Ten is hoping to have a trifecta of major college football games each Saturday, with Fox airing a noon game, CBS grabbing the 3:30 PM slot, and NBC closing with a night cap. The deals would also include some agreed upon schedule for basketball, but the football agreement is interesting.

With CBS in the rearview, the SEC has moved onto ABC and ESPN, inking a lucrative 10-year deal of its own.

Now, the focus is on the future.

ESPN’s PR team dropped the “SEC on ABC” teaser Thursday as the conference’s media day event wrapped up.

 

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College football viewers immediately reacted to the “SEC on ABC” sneak peek.

While most were ecstatic to see the preview drop, knowing that it signals being one step closer to the start of the season, there were a few complaints.

Most who’ve grown accustomed to the iconic CBS intro were disappointed to see a change. Much of the criticism revolved around the music.

“There needs to be some College Football band sound in the music.”

Others said the graphics too closely resembled the NFL design.

“This is basically a rip-off of Monday Night Football… If I’m ESPN and ABC, I’m pumping much more money into the production of the SEC on ABC along with simple things like the score bug on the bottom and touchdown graphics.”

With this being just a graphics teaser, the music in this particular video may not be here to stay. It’s likely a different story for those score bug and touchdown visuals shown in the clip.

Despite some criticism, many seemed excited about the SEC’s move forward with ABC. With a 12-team playoff, the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, and the elimination of East and West divisions, much will be different in 2024.

Still, excitement remains as the conference shifts into a new era. This teaser is the first sign that we’ve almost made it to fall!