To commemorate the 50th anniversary of “The NFL Today,” CBS Sports treated viewers to a nostalgic experience during Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season — a virtual retro-style set. The show, filmed at the CBS Broadcast Center, cleverly blended design elements from the show's original run (1975-1980). As J.P. LoMonaco, vice president of design for CBS Sports, explained to NCS, the set was a true throwback.
This virtual set, powered by Zero Density, even included a digital replica of a classic on-screen information presentation method – a physical sign on camera. Resembling an old-fashioned stadium scoreboard, these boards used slide-out panels for changing information like team names and statistics, while frequently used elements were directly applied to the surface.
The September 21, 2025, anniversary show saw a unique blend of generations. Brent Musburger, a co-host of “NFL Today” from 1975 to 1990, joined current hosts and analysts James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, and Matt Ryan.
Adding to the retro charm, the show opening included a vintage Jeep commercial clip, a nod to the show's current sponsor. Retro graphics and the original theme music further enhanced the nostalgic atmosphere. This involved Lomonaco and his team meticulously recreating a full suite of animated and insert graphics inspired by the late 1970s. These were produced in 16:9 aspect ratio and broadcast in high definition, but special “filters” gave them an authentic vintage look.
Even the show's open was recreated, but with the current talent's names (and Musburger's name under a “featuring” credit). CBS also produced a retro-style production card, completing the throwback experience.