Indiana football fans not headed to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Monday night will have a wide range of viewing options for the national championship.
One will include legendary IU radio voice Don Fischer’s radio call synced up to the main ESPN telecast. It will be Fischer’s first national championship game call since IU basketball played Maryland in 2002.
ESPN will showcase the College Football Playoff National Championship of No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana on Monday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET via numerous methods.
ESPN’s main telecast will headline the signature MegaCast production, as ESPN offers 14 different presentations of the CFP National Championship Game across ESPN networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ACC Network, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Unlimited, with all offerings available to stream on the ESPN App via ESPN DTC or Pay TV authentication.
College football’s epic finale features the Hurricanes and the Hoosiers and will be available in nearly 150 countries.
Innovation reigns supreme on main ESPN telecast
Hard Rock Stadium will be the hub of ESPN innovation on Championship Monday, including approximately 100 cameras providing every angle of college football’s biggest night. State-of-the-art technology includes:
- Eight End Zone Pylon Cams: Cameras inside all eight endzone pylons
- Line-to-Gain Pylon: Wireless pylons on both sidelines at the first down line
- Ref Cams: Camera connected to umpire’s hat
- Goal Post Cam: Great looks from the back of the endzone
- Goal Line Robotic Cams: Perfect look down the goal line
- Shallow Depth of Field Wireless Ronin: Sony Fx6 on Ronin Gimbal for on-field celebrations following scoring plays
Returning to this year’s presentation of the College Football Playoff is the integration of JockeyCam technology during the National Championship. ESPN will place JockeyCam cameras on the hat of the umpire to bring viewers unprecedented, decisive shots of close plays throughout the title game and will be showcased as a part of AT&T’s “Connected Cam” sponsorship. The wearable-camera technology uses an AI-stabilized POV camera.
ESPN’s camera complement will include dedicated cameras on Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti at all times, as well as unique camera placements providing views of the teams as they enter the field. The Goodyear Blimp will share aerial shots of Miami and Hard Rock Stadium.
More than 100 microphones will be placed throughout the stadium, capturing the sounds of the game and atmosphere of the crowd, enhancing the game telecast.
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call their 12th straight CFP National Championship together, and their second in Miami, concluding their 30th college football season as a commentating team. Reporters Holly Rowe (Indiana) and Molly McGrath (Miami) will provide news and insight from the sidelines, as the duo returns to the ESPN telecast for the fifth consecutive year. Rowe reported on the ESPN Radio broadcast for the first six years of the championship. ESPN rules analyst Bill Lemonnier will also cover Championship Monday. A former Big Ten referee, Lemonnier is a veteran of numerous marquee assignments, including several prestigious bowl games.
ESPN’s 12th CFP National Championship MegaCast led by Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show
Returning in 2026, the ever-popular Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show will offer entertaining, free-flowing commentary of the CFP National Championship on ESPN2, anchored by Pat McAfee, who will roam the sidelines of Hard Rock Stadium. McAfee will call the action from the unique vantage point, joined by AJ Hawk, Darius Butler, Connor Campbell, Ty Schmit and Tone Digs, as well as a rotation of ESPN analysts, notable personalities, and celebrities throughout the game.
After a four-year hiatus, fan favorite Coaches Film Room returns to the CFP MegaCast on ESPNU. Zubin Mehenti hosts alongside former head coaches Steve Addazio, Dave Clawson, Gene Chizik and Mike Gundy, as well as rules analyst Jerry McGinn. The crew will be live from ESPN’s Bristol headquarters to provide unique insight and analysis surrounding Monday night’s matchup.
ACC Network continues with another round of Field Pass with ACC Huddle. Host and Fort Lauderdale native Taylor Tannebaum, alongside Huddle teammates Eric Mac Lain, Eddie Royal and Jimbo Fisher, will be on the sidelines calling the action live from Hard Rock Stadium as Miami fights for a national title on home turf.
ESPN’s MegaCast production includes several additional presentations across ESPN networks:
- SkyCast (ESPNEWS): SkyCast returns, highlighting the popular view from above the action and behind the offense on most plays.
- Command Center (ESPN Unlimited): Command Center features a multi-angle presentation with player and team statistics. The telecast will feature four main video feeds including the main telecast from ESPN, SkyCam and shots of each head coach.
- 4K UHD Presentation: For the second straight season, the entire CFP National Championship will be presented in 4K. The 2026 edition will be available on Comcast, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Optimum, Sling TV, Verizon and YouTube TV.
- Hometown Radio (ESPN Unlimited): A Championship MegaCast staple, fans can listen to their specific team’s local radio broadcast, with audio feeds synced up with ESPN’s Command Center presentation.
- WQAM/Miami Hurricanes Radio Network
- Commentators: Joe Zagacki, Don Bailey, Jr., Josh Darrow
- Indiana Hoosier Sports Network
- Commentators: Don Fischer, Buck Suhr, John Herrick
- WQAM/Miami Hurricanes Radio Network
- All-22 (ESPN Unlimited): An altcast favorite, watch the game the same way players and coaches study film, with a vantage point high above the field of play. The angle allows for the 22 players on the field to be seen at all times, providing the ability to distinguish how plays develop while listening to the ESPN Radio call.
- High SkyCast (ESPN Unlimited): Giving fans a birds’ eye view of the action on the field, the High SkyCast angle will take viewers to the top of the spires at Hard Rock Stadium. Set 357 feet in the air, the camera will be rigged to the spires but also able to glide into Hard Rock for live action and atmospheric angles.
Sean McDonough announces his 10th CFP National Championship on ESPN Radio, joining analyst Greg McElroy, who will call his third after serving as a studio analyst at the event for several years. Lead ESPN Radio reporter Ian Fitzsimmons will return as one of ESPN Radio’s sideline reporters once again, with ESPN/ABC reporter Quint Kessenich making his national championship game debut. ESPN officiating analyst and former longtime SEC referee Matt Austin will also contribute to the commentary. The radio broadcast is available throughout the country on more than 400 ESPN Radio stations, the ESPN App, ESPNRadio.com, SiriusXM, Apple Music, iHeartRadio and TuneIn.
The Spanish-language call of the game will be available on ESPN Deportes, with Eduardo Varela, Pablo Viruega, Sebastian M. Christensen and Carlos Nava announcing the action.
CFP National Championship halftime marching bands on ESPN+
Returning for the 2026 edition, the halftime marching band performances at the College Football Playoff National Championship will be available on ESPN+. The sights and sounds of the Frost Band of the Hour and the Indiana University Marching Hundred will be streaming live via the All-22 view.
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