Kentucky kicks off the season vs. Toledo on Saturday, and if you’re watching at home on the SEC Network, you’ll hear a familiar voice. Taylor Zarzour is calling the game alongside Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang. Turns out it’s one of many, many roles for Zarzour, who joined ESPN a decade ago. In April, Zarzour […]
Kentucky kicks off the season vs. Toledo on Saturday, and if you’re watching at home on the SEC Network, you’ll hear a familiar voice. Taylor Zarzour is calling the game alongside Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang. Turns out it’s one of many, many roles for Zarzour, who joined ESPN a decade ago.
In April, Zarzour was named the new play-by-play man for the Tennessee Titans, taking over for longtime Voice of the Titans Mike Keith. After 27 years with the Titans, Keith left Nashville for Knoxville to be the lead play-by-play announcer for Tennessee football and men’s basketball games. Zarzour was tabbed as his replacement and moved from Charlotte to Nashville, where he hosted his first sports radio show 24 years ago. As part of his new gig, Zarzour also hosts Titans head coach Brian Callahan’s radio and television shows. The Titans kick off the season on September 7 at Denver.
That would be enough for most people, but Zarzour will still call college football games for ESPN and golf’s major championships on the radio. As a host and director for SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, he still hosts a morning show and will call the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York next month. Compared to that, what’s a trip up I-65 and the Bluegrass Parkway?
Zarzour and Stinchcomb were last in Lexington for Kentucky’s loss to Auburn last season. This will be Alyssa Lang’s first Kentucky football game since the win over Vanderbilt in 2023. The trio will call college football games together all season for the Worldwide Leader. Let’s get them off to a good start in Lexington.
ESPN Announcing Teams for Week 1
Here are all of the announcing teams for ESPN’s Week 1 games, along with the broadcast info for the other Top 25 games on the slate. It’s a full one, so clear your schedule and fluff the couch cushions.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Thu, Aug 28 | 5:30 p.m. | No. 25 Boise State at South Florida Matt Barrie, Tom Luginbill, Harry Lyles Jr. | ESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. | Central Arkansas at Missouri Lowell Galindo, Aaron Murray, Lauren Sisler | SEC Network | |
| 9 p.m. | Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City, Mo.)* Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Quint Kessenich | ESPN | |
| Fri, Aug 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Western Illinois at No. 12 Illinois | Peacock |
| 8 p.m. | Auburn at Baylor | FOX | |
| 8 p.m. | Georgia Tech at Colorado* Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor | ESPN | |
| Sat, Aug 30 | Noon | No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State | FOX |
| Noon | Aflac Kickoff: Syracuse vs. No. 24 Tennessee (Atlanta, Ga.) TV: Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden | ABC | |
| Noon | Mississippi State at Southern Miss Roy Philpott, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis | ESPN | |
| 12:45 p.m. | Toledo at Kentucky Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang | SEC Network | |
| 2:30 p.m. | Old Dominion vs. No. 20 Indiana | FS1 | |
| 3 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky at Louisville Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, Victoria Arlen | ACC Network | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Nevada vs. No. 2 Penn State | CBS/Paramount+ | |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 8 Alabama at Florida State* Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George | ABC | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Marshall at No. 5 Georgia Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, Dawn Davenport | ESPN | |
| 3:30 p.m. | South Dakota vs. No. 22 Iowa State | FOX | |
| 4:00 p.m. | Montana State vs. No. 7 Oregon | BTN | |
| 4:15 p.m. | Alabama A&M at Arkansas Dave Neal, Fozzy Whittaker, Morgan Uber | SEC Network | |
| 6 p.m. | Illinois State at No. 18 Oklahoma Richard Cross, Tyoka Jackson | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 7 p.m. | UTSA at No. 19 Texas A&M Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra | ESPN | |
| 7 p.m. | Long Island University at No. 15 Florida Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman, Stephanie Otey | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 7 p.m. | Charleston Southern at Vanderbilt Kevin Fitzgerald, Charles Arbuckle | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 7:30 p.m. | New Mexico vs. No. 14 Michigan | NBC/Peacock | |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe. Molly McGrath | ABC | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. No. 23 Texas Tech Ted Emrich, Jeff Woody | ESPN+ | |
| 7:45 p.m. | Georgia State at No. 21 Ole Miss Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic | SEC Network | |
| 9 p.m. | East Texas A&M at No. 16 SMU Wes Durham, Steve Addazio, Dana Boyle | ACC Network | |
| 10 p.m. | Northern Arizona at No. 11 Arizona State Roxy Bernstein, Michael Bumpus, Tori Petry | ESPN+ | |
| Sun, Aug 31 | 3 p.m. | Aflac Kickoff: Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 South Carolina (Atlanta, Ga.) TV: Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden | ESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami* Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath. Taylor McGregor | ABC | |
| Mon, Sep 1 | 8 p.m. | TCU at North Carolina** Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe | ESPN |
Category: General Sports
