Personality-Driven Play-By-Play to Bring 13 Regular Season Games, Select Bowl Game to Fans via YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Local Radio, The Varsity Network App
PLANO, Texas – LEARFIELD has announced the return of its personality-driven College Football Saturday Night live game broadcast for the 2022 season, with Mike Golic Jr. as analyst and Sloane Martin handling play-by-play.
The company will produce and distribute 13 marquee games on the weekly Saturday slate, with a selected bowl game to be announced later. LEARFIELD, as athletics multimedia rightsholder to nearly 200 universities across the U.S., is primed to bring college football fans the sights, sounds, play calls and special guests from choice matchups and rivalries week in and week out.
Fans have multiple ways in which they can catch the popular broadcast. LEARFIELD will deliver the live audio to more than 120 radio stations, SiriusXM and The Varsity Network app. Fans also can watch Golic Jr. and Martin call the game from inside the stadium via on-demand Booth Cam at Facebook Live @CollegeFootballSaturdayNight or YouTube Live at College Football Saturday Night from LEARFIELD. All 13 games will feature schools represented by LEARFIELD.
“College Football Saturday Night is fun and different, and the broadcast really resonates with fans,” said Rick Barakat, EVP/managing director for LEARFIELD’s Media & Partnerships Group. “Our talent is just as exceptional for our sophomore season with Mike Golic Jr. and Sloane Martin in the booth, and we will soon announce where we’re headed the first three weeks of the season.”
Golic Jr. takes over the analyst chair from his father, Mike Golic, who was integral to College Football Saturday Night’s rookie season last year. Martin assumes play-by-play duties held in 2021 by Kate Scott, now dedicated play-by-play announcer for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Immediately following each of the 13 game broadcasts, Golic Jr. and Martin will host a brief postgame show from the booth.
Golic Jr. spent the last five years as a radio host and college football game analyst at ESPN. He hosted Canty & Golic Jr. – alongside Super Bowl Champion Chris Canty – every weekday on ESPN Radio and simulcast on ESPN+. He also was a regular fixture on ESPN’s social media and digital content surrounding marquee events and key announcement shows such as the Super Bowl, NFL Draft and College Football Playoff Rankings Reaction with Jason Fitz. Golic Jr. comes to LEARFIELD’s College Football Saturday Night with significant experience, having called dozens of college football games over the years and serving as a radio host for additional ESPN shows such as Chiney & Golic Jr., First and Last, and as a regular contributor on Golic and Wingo and guest co-host of Mike & Mike.
Martin has earned a reputation for breaking barriers for women in sports broadcasting. Most recently, she was lead play-by-play broadcaster for women’s basketball on Big Ten Network in addition to calling softball and hockey games. Martin splits sideline and play-by-play duties for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx on Bally Sports North and announces men’s games for the Big3 pro basketball league.
Throughout the 2022 season, fans are encouraged to follow and engage with College Football Saturday Night on Twitter, tagging @LearfieldAudio and using the hashtag #CFBSaturdayNight. It is anticipated that through their personal Twitter handles, Golic Jr. (@mikegolicjr) and Martin (@SloaneMartin), also will join in the conversation. Fans can expect College Football Saturday Night to deliver quality play-by-play and game analysis, while the personalities and entertaining banter between Golic Jr. and Martin will be unique to the Saturday night slate each week.
About LEARFIELD
LEARFIELD is a leading media and technology services company in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. LEARFIELD services includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics; ticketing, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.