ESPN College Gameday hosts are Reece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and Desmond Howard. Jess Sims is a reporter for the show.
Robert Griffin III, Jen Lada, and Pat McAfee are roped in as contributors. The program started in 1987, and Lee Corso has been actively working as an analyst since then.
The concert of taking the show to the game location commenced in 1993. The first event they covered on the site was the contest between Notre Dame and FSU on 13th November 1993 in South Bend, Indiana.
Over the year, the show has amassed immense popularity and has become one of the most engaging productions. Fans appreciate the effort of the crew to visit the venue for the game.
Many people have been part of the program since its inception.
In the recent turn of events, the ESPN network fired two people from the show for a cost-saving initiative.
College GameDay Layoffs
ESPN layoffs College GameDay include longtime College GameDay analysts David Pollack and Gene Wojciechowski.
Other NFL cuts are Steve Young and Suzy Kolber. Keyshawn Johnson, Todd McShay, Jason Fitz, and Matt Hasselbeck are others from the NFL department who received a termination letter.
Wojciechowski is from Salina, Kansas. He studied communications and journalism at the University of Tennessee. One of his first jobs was at The Denver Post in 1983.
Gene has worked in The Dallas Moring News, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Turbine before entering ESPN in 1992. He is a veteran sports reporter with prowess in writing and on-screen reporting.
In June 2005, Wojciechowski was honored as a senior national sports columnist for ESPN. After being with the network for over thirty years, he was let go by the company on 30th June 2023.
On the 4th of July, the veteran tweeted about the incident. He wrote, “June 30 was my last day at ESPN. … No Plan B yet. For now, just thanks.”
It was followed by another tweet where he thanked those who contacted him after the news broke out.
He did not badmouth his former employer; instead, he wrote, “For the record, ESPN did right by me during my entire career. No hard feelings. It was an honor to work there.”
ESPN College GameDay Cast
College GameDay 2023 cast comprises veteran analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. Corso has been part of the show since its commencement in 1987.
Likewise, Herbstreit joined the sports network in 1996 and was handed the duty of lead analyst in production.
Other personalities who are currently a part of the show are as follows:
- Desmond Howard – Analyst
- Rece Davis – Host
- Jen Lada – Contributoor
- Robert Griffin III – Contributor
- Jess Sims – Reporter
- Pat McAfee – Contributor
Howard has been a part of the program since 2005. Davis joined the show in 2015, Lada in 2016, Griffin III in 2021, and Sims in 2022.
The latest inclusion is Pat McAfee, who has received a lucrative deal, which we will discuss later.
Likewise, since the program’s inception, many personalities have been affiliated with the show. Here is a list of all former cast members:
- Trev Alberts – In-Studio analyst (2002-05)
- Erin Andrews – Reporter/Contributor (2010-11)
- Tim Brando – Host (1987-88)
- Bob Carpenter – Host (1989)
- Beano Cook – Analyst (1987-90)
- Chris Fowler – Host (1990-2014)
- Craig James – Analyst (1990-95)
- Rocket Ismail – Contributor (2003-04)
- Nick Lachey – Contributor (2005)
- Norm Hitzges – Contributor (1992-95)
- Samantha Ponder – Reporter/Contributor (2012-16)
- Tom Rinaldi – Contributor (2011-20)
- Maria Taylor – Reporter/Contributor (2017-20)
- Gene Wojciechowski – Contributor (1992-2022)
- David Pollack – Analyst (2011-22)
- Chris Fallica – Researcher/Contributor (1996-2022)
ESPN College GameDay Salary
ESPN College GameDay salary of Kirk Herbstreit is reportedly $6 million in a year. His Amazon Prime deal lands him another $10 million.
Troy Aikman and Joe Buck are some of the highest earners, with an approximate annual income of $18 million and $15 million. Stephen A. Smith also bags around $12 million per year.
ESPN College GameDay crew and their approximate salaries at ESPN is given below:
- Pat McAfee – $17 million
- Rece Davis – $1.5 million
- Lee Corso – over $2 million
- Desmond Howard – $3 million
- Jen Lada – $200,000
- Robert Griffin III – $4 million
- Jess Sims – $500,000
Why Did David Pollack Leave College GameDay?
David Pollack College GamdeDay was laid off by ESPN and 19 other high-profile commentators, analysts, and presenters.
Anything big happen today? 🤣 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/XvXnPXhgb7
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) July 1, 2023
Pollack broke the news through a video on Twitter. He said he won’t return for College GameDay’s new season.
The former NFL player was grateful for the 13-year journey with the network. He further mentioned having no clue about the future proceedings in his life.
He spoke about his NFL career, television career, and other things. The individual was hopeful and believed that God must have planned something amazing for him in the future.
David Pollack ESPN Salary
David Pollack salary at ESPN was approximately $81,650. He has worked at the sports network company since 2009.
The former linebacker was an analyst at the College GameDay show from 2011. He was also a presenter of the Palmer and Pollack show.
He was also involved in Thursday Night Football in 2012 when he replaced Craig James.
David Pollack ESPN contract was last revisited in 2016. Pollack was handed a multi-year deal and a more prominent role in the studio.
But, the tides were not in his favor, and when they turned, the former NFL performer found himself on the receiving end and was cut off from the company on 30th June 2023.
Before his analyst career, the 41-year-old played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2005 to 2007. The Bengals selected the University of Georgia alma mater as the 17th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Pat McAfee ESPN Deal
Pat McAfee college gameday contract is a five-year deal of $85 million. It brings McAfee and “The Pat McAfee Show” to the network.
The former Indianapolis Colts Punter previously worked with ESPN in 2019 as a color analyst for Thursday Night College Football. He also appeared as a celebrity guest in College GameDay and Get Up!
Pat McAfee ESPN salary is $17 million per year. As a part of the deal, he will also cover Rose Bowl, the College Football Playoff, Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl.
The beloved show of the 36-year-old was backed by DAZN and Westwood One in 2019. Their partnership ended in August 2020 when McAfee was suspended for violating FCC regulations.
The show then moved to Sirius XM in September 2020. The individual capitalized on a $120 million agreement with FanDuel for four years on 9th December 2021.
ESPN hires Pat McAfee as a full-time College GameDay analyst. He will also run The Pat McAfee Show with full creative control.
College GameDay Predictions
College GameDay locations for the upcoming 2023 season may see the crew head to Dublin, Ireland. Notre Dame and Navy will kick off the 2023 season.
Likewise, they could travel to Fox Worth, Texas, for the week one fixture: Colorado Buffaloes at TCU Horned Frogs.
The last time GameDay traveled to TCU was in 2018. If they journey to Fox Worth for the 2nd September fixture, it will be their fourth time appearing in the program.
Meanwhile, the Buffaloes are no strangers to the show, as they have already appeared seven times. Their appearance in the production will be special for the new coach Deion Sanders.
Here is a list of all the projected locations the production team might travel to each week in 2023:
- Week 2: Tuscaloosa, Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
- Week 3: Gainesville, Tennessee Volunteers vs.Florida Gators
- Week 4: Clemson, Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemson Tigers
- Week 5: Auburn, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Auburn Tigers
- Week 6: Dallas, Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorn (Cotton Bowl)
- Week 7: South Bend, USC Trojans vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Week 8: Columbus, Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
- Week 9: Salt Lake City, Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Utes
- Week 10: Tuscaloosa, LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
- Week 11: Tallahassee, Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State Seminoles
- Week 12: Knoxville, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers
- Week 13: Ann Arbor, Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines
- Week 14: Atlanta (SEC Championship)
- Week 15: Foxborough, Navy Midshipmen vs. Army Black Knights