ESPN Brings Back Classic Theme Song for “SEC on ABC”

ESPN has re-orchestrated its classic college football theme song for the upcoming debut of the “SEC on ABC.” The theme draws on the theme originally used in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but with some key updates.

Set to debut on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, during the Miami at Florida game at 3 p.m. Eastern, the revitalized theme represents a collaboration between the SEC, ESPN Music, ESPN’s college football production team and composer Bob Christianson, who also created the renowned “NHL on ESPN” theme.

The theme music has been reimagined for ESPN’s new 10-year media rights agreement with the Southeastern Conference, according to ESPN. The dynamic musical composition is meant to bring the “nostalgia, pageantry and passion” of the early years of SEC on ESPN to a new generation of college football fans and ABC viewers.

“Music is a crucial element in shaping the storytelling of any broadcast,” said ESPN president of content Burke Magnus in a statement. “The opportunity to resurrect a theme song that means so much to college football fans, and so many of us at ESPN, was important as we start this new chapter in our relationship with the SEC.”

The new music will be used exclusively on SEC home games on ABC, meaning it can be incorporated into more than just the 3:30 p.m. window. SEC home games in primetime during ABC Saturday Night Football and in the ABC noon window will also utilize this revamped theme. “By reaching into the past and connecting with the present, ESPN is bringing a touch of tradition to a new era of televised SEC sports,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This re-orchestrated composition will enhance the presentation of SEC football on ABC by bringing a bit of nostalgia to the SEC’s new Saturday television experience.”

The ESPN College Football theme music reached its peak popularity in the early 2000s when ESPN presented SEC football in primetime on Saturday nights. The theme was also employed across multiple pop culture touchpoints throughout the 2000s, including within EA Sports NCAA 14, the last iteration of the popular video game before EA Sports College Football 25 was released earlier this year.