Riddick, Griese and Levy will call the second game of the Sept. 14 doubleheaderGETTY IMAGES
With the possibility of Saturday NFL games if the college football season is canceled, ESPN's current plan is to "stick with its newly created but yet-to-be-announced 'Monday Night Football' team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick," according to Andrew Marchand of the N.Y. POST. But that "doesn’t mean that its No. 1 college football broadcast team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit won't do multiple NFL games." If college football does not play, ESPN/ABC "would try to land" Saturday NFL games, and Fowler and Herbstreit "would be in line to call those telecasts." The duo is "expected to be on the Giants-Steelers 'Monday Night' opener on Sept. 14," while Levy, Riddick and Griese "handle the second game of that night’s doubleheader between the Titans and Broncos." In the event there is just a shortened college football season, the NFL "would likely forgo Saturdays, though there is no final decision yet" (N.Y. POST, 8/11).
MORE QUESTIONS: SI.com's Jimmy Traina asks, "Is there enough time for the NFL to adjust its 2020 schedule on the fly?" Would the league "try to own Saturdays by playing games" at 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 8:00pm ET? Would they opt for just games at 4:00pm and 8:00pm, or would the NFL "just add a Saturday prime-time package" at 8:00pm? Traina: "Then you have the issue of which network would air the extra games." The league's broadcast partners -- CBS, NBC, Fox and ESPN -- "would have open spots for NFL games since they all air college football games that won't happen." The "money tells you the NFL and its broadcast partners will definitely want to make Saturday an NFL day," but the "biggest question will be coming to an agreement on logistics and timing." That and "actually playing a season from start to finish" (SI.com, 8/10).
