ESPN continues to build its extensive 2012 college football schedule, adding 68 games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. The matchups involve home games from the SEC, Big Ten, BIG EAST, Mid-American, Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences. The announcement also includes the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney and six ESPNU Thursday night telecasts from the two prominent HBCU (Historically Black College/University) leagues.
In the first three weeks, ESPN will televise games from all 11 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences plus BYU, Notre Dame and Navy. Additional selections, including home games from the SEC, Pac-12 and Big 12, will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Every game will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV.
Highlights:
- Five additional season-kickoff games on Thursday, Aug. 30: the opening night will be highlighted by an ESPN doubleheader beginning with South Carolina at Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET followed by the previously announced Washington State at BYU game at 10:15 p.m. ESPNU will televise Texas A&M’s first game as a member of the Southeastern Conference when the Aggies visit defending Western Athletic Conference champion Louisiana Tech at 7:30 p.m.
- Eight home Big Ten Conference games in the first three weeks of the season, highlighted by a 3:30 p.m. game on ABC and ESPN2 each Saturday: Southern Mississippi at Nebraska (Sept. 1), Air Force at Michigan (Sept. 8) and Navy at Penn State (Sept. 15).
- Including two previously announced games, ESPN networks will cover the debut of eight head coaches with their new team in the first weekend: Tim Beckman (Illinois), Terry Bowden (Akron), Paul Chryst (Pittsburgh), Ellis Johnson (Southern Miss), Bill O’Brien (Penn State) and Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M); previously announced games include Larry Fedora (North Carolina against Elon Saturday, Sept. 1, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN3) and Mike Leach (Washington State at BYU Thursday, Aug. 30, at 10:15 p.m. on ESPN).
- ESPN’s telecast of Penn State against Ohio (Saturday, Sept. 1, at noon) will mark the debut of Nittany Lions head coach Bill O’Brien, the school’s first new head coach in 46 years.
- Three defending conference champions in the opening weekend: Louisiana Tech (WAC), Northern Illinois (MAC) and Southern Mississippi (Conference USA).
- ESPNU will televise three games involving Big Ten teams on the first two Saturdays of the season, including a doubleheader from the state of Illinois on September 1: Western Michigan at Illinois at noon followed by Iowa vs. Northern Illinois from Chicago’s Soldier Field at 3:30 p.m. ESPNU will also televise Michigan State at Central Michigan on September 8 at 3:30 p.m.
- Multiple games involving teams ranked in a preseason College Football Live preseason top 25 poll.
ESPN will provide the most extensive multiplatform college football coverage with more than 450 regular-season and postseason games, concluding with the Discover BCS National Championship, across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN Radio, ESPN 3D, ESPN Mobile, ESPN GamePlan and ESPN Goal Line. In addition to game action, ESPN will deliver news, analysis, features and highlights across College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, College Football Live and multiple other television shows as well as ESPN.com, ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine.
Newly Announced ESPN 2012 College Football Telecasts (additional selections will be announced later):
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Thu, Aug 30 | 7 p.m. | South Carolina at Vanderbilt | ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Central Florida at Akron | ESPN3* | |
| 7 p.m. | Eastern Michigan at Ball State | ESPN3* | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech (from Independence Stadium – Shreveport, LA) | ESPNU | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Massachusetts at Connecticut | ESPN3 & BIG EAST Local Package | |
| Fri, Aug 31 | TBD | Villanova at Temple | ESPN3* |
| Sat, Sep 1 | Noon | Ohio at Penn State | ESPN |
| Noon | Northwestern at Syracuse | ESPN2 | |
| Noon | Western Michigan at Illinois | ESPNU | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Southern Mississippi at No. 17 Nebraska | ABC & ESPN2** | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Iowa vs. Northern Illinois (from Solider Field – Chicago) | ESPNU | |
| 6 p.m. | Youngstown State at Pittsburgh | ESPN3* | |
| 7 p.m. | Tennessee-Chattanooga at South Florida | ESPN3* | |
| Sun, Sep 2 | Noon | MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney: Bethune-Cookman vs. Alabama State (from Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium – Orlando) | ESPN |
| Sat, Sep 8 | Noon | Central Florida at No. 20 Ohio State | ESPN2 |
| Noon | Maryland at Temple | ESPNU | |
| Noon | NC State at Connecticut | ESPN3 & BIG EAST Network | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Air Force at No. 10 Michigan | ABC & ESPN2** | |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 12 Michigan State at Central Michigan | ESPNU | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Indiana at Massachusetts | ESPN3* | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Howard at Rutgers | ESPN3 & BIG EAST Local Package | |
| 7 p.m. | Memphis at Arkansas State | ESPN3* | |
| 7 p.m. | Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy | ESPN3* | |
| TBD | Texas Tech at Texas State | TBD | |
| Thu, Sep 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Mississippi Valley State at Southern | ESPNU |
| Sat, Sep 15 | Noon | California at No. 20 Ohio State | ABC |
| Noon | Arkansas State at No. 17 Nebraska | ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| Noon | No. 19 Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh | ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Navy at Penn State | ABC & ESPN2** | |
| 3:30 p.m. | North Carolina at Louisville | ABC & ESPN2** | |
| 7 p.m. | Rice at Louisiana Tech | ESPN3* | |
| 7 p.m. | Delaware State at Cincinnati | ESPN3* | |
| 7 p.m. | Mississippi State at Troy | ESPN3* | |
| 8 p.m. | Colorado State at San Jose State | ESPN3* | |
| Wed, Sep 19 | 7 p.m. | Kent State at Buffalo | ESPNU |
| Thu, Sep 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Arkansas Pine Bluff at Alabama State | ESPNU |
| Sat, Sep 22 | Noon | Massachusetts at Miami (OH) | ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week |
| 2 p.m. | Connecticut at Western Michigan | ESPN3* | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Gardner-Webb at Pittsburgh | ESPN3* | |
| 4:30 pm | South Florida at Ball State | ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Louisville at Florida International | ESPNU or ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Southern Mississippi at Western Kentucky | ESPN3* | |
| 8 p.m. | New Mexico at New Mexico State | ESPN3* | |
| TBD | Kansas at Northern Illinois | ESPNU or ESPN3 | |
| Thu, Sep 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Morgan State at North Carolina A&T | ESPNU |
| Sat, Sep 29 | Noon | Buffalo at Connecticut | ESPN3 & BIG EAST Network |
| Noon | Ball State at Kent State | ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week | |
| 8 p.m. | UNLV at Utah State | ESPN3* | |
| TBD | Nevada at Texas State | TBD | |
| Sat, Oct 6 | Noon | Buffalo at Ohio | ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week |
| 7 p.m. | UNLV at Louisiana Tech | ESPN3 & WAC Syndication | |
| Sat, Oct 13 | 4 p.m. | Utah State at San Jose State | ESPN3 & WAC Syndication |
| Thu, Oct 18 | 7:30 p.m. | Hampton at NC Central | ESPNU |
| Sat, Oct 20 | Noon | Northern Illinois at Akron | ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week |
| 1 p.m. | Army at Eastern Michigan | ESPN3* | |
| 3:30 pm | Pittsburgh at Buffalo | ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Idaho at Louisiana Tech | ESPN3 & WAC Syndication | |
| TBD | Cincinnati at Toledo | ESPNU or ESPN3 | |
| Thu, Oct 25 | 7:30 p.m. | Delaware State at Morgan State | ESPNU |
| Sat, Oct 27 | Noon | Northern Illinois at Western Michigan | ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week |
| 3:30 pm | Kent State at Rutgers | ESPN3 & BIG EAST Local Package | |
| Sat, Nov 3 | 4 p.m. | Texas-San Antonio at Louisiana Tech | ESPN3 & WAC Syndication |
| TBD | Western Michigan at Central Michigan | ESPN3* | |
| Sat, Nov 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Navy at Troy | ESPN3* |
| Sat, Nov 17 | Noon | Rutgers at Cincinnati | ESPN3 & BIG EAST Network |
| Noon | Kent State at Bowling Green | ESPN3 & MAC Game of the Week | |
| Thu, Nov 22 | 4 p.m. | Tuskegee at Alabama State | ESPNU |
| Sat, Nov 24 | 3 p.m. | Idaho at Utah State | ESPN3 & WAC Syndication |
* ESPN3 exclusive game
** Reverse mirror in which ESPN2 will regionalize two games on ABC to markets not receiving the telecast
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