Urban Meyer’s return to Fox is now official. Plus: the UEFA Champions League is staying put on CBS and Paramount+, another ex-Florida coach is heading to TV, and more.
Fox quietly announces Urban Meyer’s return
Fox Sports quietly announced Friday the return of former college football analyst Urban Meyer, who will return to his previous role on the network’s “Big Noon Saturday” studio coverage. Meyer spent two seasons with Fox beginning in 2019 before leaving for an ill-fated position with the NFL Jaguars last year. Prior to joining Fox, he spent a year with ESPN between college football coaching jobs in 2011.
The Athletic first reported earlier this year that Meyer was headed back to Fox.
Meyer’s re-hiring was just one note in a broader announcement about Fox Sports’ college football teams this season. The network also announced its new “B” team of newcomers Jason Benetti and Allison Williams alongside the returning Brock Huard, plus the addition of Noah Eagle on play-by-play. (Fox Sports PR)
CBS holds onto UEFA rights for an additional six years
CBS Sports has reached a six-year contract extension to continue carrying the UEFA club soccer competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, it was announced Friday. The deal will extend the CBS-UEFA relationship to nine years by its expiration in 2030. Coverage will continue to air across CBS, Paramount+ and the CBS Sports Network.
Per Bloomberg, which was first to report the deal Friday, CBS parent company Paramount will pay in the neighborhood of $250 million/year under the new deal — more-than-double the current level ($100M/year). CBS is said to have held off Amazon for the rights. (CBSSports.com 8.19)
Ex-Florida coach Mullen joins ESPN
ESPN on Friday announced the hiring of former Florida Gators coach Dan Mullen as a college football analyst. Mullen will work on the ESPN2 studio team alongside host Kevin Connors and analyst Sam Acho.
ESPN’s other studio teams remain the same as in past season, with Matt Barrie working alongside Joey Galloway and the newly-extended Jesse Palmer on ESPN, while Kevin Neghandi and Booger McFarland remain the studio team for ABC. (ESPN PR)
Plus: Brady, Monday Countdown, Kaat
There was speculation Friday that future Fox NFL analyst and current Buccaneers QB Tom Brady is away from team to shoot episodes of the Fox reality show “The Masked Singer,” but NFL reporter Benjamin Albright of Colorado’s KOA 850 AM cited sources with “direct knowledge” as debunking the rumors. … ESPN officially announced this week that Robert Griffin III will replace Randy Moss on “Monday Night Countdown.” Moss, who is entering the first year of a new contract, is scaling back his schedule but will remain on Sunday NFL Countdown. … … Longtime Major League Baseball game analyst Jim Kaat retired from broadcasting after working Thursday’s Blue Jays-Yankees game for MLB Network. Kaat, 83, most recently worked for MLB Network at the tail end of a career that included stints with CBS, ABC and ESPN. (Albright/Twitter 8.19, ESPN PR, MLB Network)
