SEC Saturday Night broadcasting team announced
SEC Saturday Night, the franchise that features SEC Network's marquee college football game each Saturday, will have a new broadcasting team this season. Former SEC starting quarterback Jordan Rodgers and offensive lineman Cole Cubelic, both who were team captains, will be the analysts, with Rodgers in the booth and Cubelic at field level. Familiar SEC voice Tom Hart will call the play-by-play each week. The trio takes over for Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer, and Kaylee Hartung who called games for the franchise last season. Palmer remains with ESPN and his role this college football season will be announced soon.
Rodgers' Role Expanded
Rodgers moves to a regular game analyst position following a successful first year with SEC Network. During his rookie year, Rodgers was a game analyst on multiple SEC game telecasts, including at Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee and, his alma mater, Vanderbilt. The California-native rounded out his network experience with regular studio work, appearing regularly on SEC Now, the network's daily news and information program. Rodgers capped off his first season appearing on the network's coverage of the SEC Championship game and the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, including the live Finebaum Film Room presentation as Alabama defeated Washington to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
"This past year has been a blast," said Rodgers. "I am thankful that SEC Network afforded me a variety of opportunities which has set me up for an expanded role in my second year. Tom and Cole are great broadcasters and even better guys. I have watched them for years and look forward to working and learning from the both of them throughout the year.
"Overall, there is very little in my life I enjoy more than college football. Now as a game analyst, I look forward to traveling throughout the SEC, being around the best college football atmosphere each week and providing fans my own perspective of the game."
In addition to his prominent position on SEC Saturday Night, Rodgers will continue to appear on SEC Now throughout the season in addition to other SEC Network and ESPN programming and platforms.
Hart and Cubelic are SEC Network Broadcast Veterans
Hart and Cubelic join SEC Saturday Night with a wealth of college football broadcast experience, most notably with SEC Network since its launch in August 2014. After spending their first two seasons with other broadcast partners, Hart and Cubelic called games together throughout the 2016 season, which concluded in Nashville, Tenn., at the Music City Bowl where the SEC was victorious, as Tennessee defeated Nebraska. Throughout their careers, the two have worked games in nearly every single SEC stadium.
Prior to SEC Network, Hart and Cubelic called college football games on a variety of ESPN's networks. Today, both continue to be utilized across ESPN's networks, including ABC, during the college football season in addition to their regular SEC Network roles.
"Jordan, Tom and Cole will be a great compliment to each other," said SEC Network coordinating producer Steve Ackels. "Tom's extensive knowledge of the overall production allows him to be our leader in the booth, dictating the action while setting up Jordan and Cole to inform, educate and entertain the viewers. Then, with Jordan and Cole's knowledge of the league as players combined with their preparation as analysts, SEC Saturday Night will be a great telecast once again this season."
More about Jordan Rodgers
Rodgers quarterbacked the Vanderbilt football team during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, following a two-year stint at Butte College (California). In his two years leading the Commodores, he amassed more than 4,000 passing yards and threw 24 touchdowns. In his first season, he led the team to a Liberty Bowl appearance and followed that up with a Music City Bowl, becoming the first quarterback in team history to lead the Commodores to back-to-back bowls. Rodgers an offensive co-caption during his final season and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
After Vanderbilt, Rodgers spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins. He starred in ABC's The Bachelorette in 2016.
More about Cole Cubelic
Cubelic played at Auburn from 1996 through 2000, including being voted a permanent team captain of the 2000 squad that went on to win the SEC West. Cubelic has been a popular voice in SEC country for more than 15 years, having begun his broadcasting career shortly after he finished his playing career. During his ESPN/SEC Network career, the Alabama native has been engulfed in college football coverage year around, including multiple bowl games, pro days and spring games to his regular season work. Cubelic connects with fans on a daily basis as he hosts The Cube Show each weekday on WUMP in North Alabama. He resides in Alabama with his wife, daughter and son.
Cubelic connects with fans on a daily basis as he hosts The Cube Show each weekday on WUMP in North Alabama. He resides in Alabama with his wife, daughter and son.
More about Tom Hart
In addition to his college football work, Hart has been one of ESPN and SEC Network's regular play-by-play voices in each of the college sport's seasons over the last three years, calling basketball and baseball games following the football season. His work in both sports is extended beyond the regular season, having called the SEC Men's Basketball Championship, SEC Baseball Championship, the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship and College World Series. Hart has also been heard on ESPN Radio's coverage of MLB and NFL.
Hart joined ESPN with extensive experience, including appearing on Atlanta Braves games for four years. Additionally, he has previously worked at Big Ten Network, CBS College Sports and Fox Sports Radio. Hart is a native of Columbia, Mo., and graduated from the University of Missouri. He now resides in Atlanta, Ga., with his wife and three children.