The NCAA News - News and Features

June 30, 1997

ESPN, ESPN2 football schedules' 89 games include NCAA football championships

ESPN and ESPN2 will televise 89 college football games this season, starting August 28 with Wyoming at Ohio State and ending with nine bowl games and two all-star contests.

ESPN2 gets the opening game when Wyoming travels to Columbus, Ohio, to play Ohio State. Wyoming was 10-2 last year but did not receive a bowl bid, while the Buckeyes beat Arizona State, 20-17, in the Rose Bowl and finished No. 2 in the country behind national champion Florida.

ESPN's opening day is August 30 with a double-header topped by Texas Tech at Tennessee, featuring Volunteers' Heisman Trophy contender Peyton Manning.

Other top matchups on ESPN include Florida at LSU (October 11); Tennessee at Alabama (October 18); Florida State at North Carolina (November 8); and Alabama at Auburn (November 22).

ESPN plans 10 Thursday night games, starting September 4 with Auburn at Virginia.

ESPN will televise 50 games, including the NCAA Division I-AA and II Football Championship title games; postseason games, including the Outback, Alamo, Holiday and Peach Bowls; and the East-West Shrine and Hula Bowl all-star games.

ESPN2, with 39 games, has the Division III Football Championship title game.