ESPN Unveils New SEC on ABC Visual Identity and Broadcast Package

ESPN is set to launch a new era of Southeastern Conference football coverage on ABC, unveiling a fresh visual identity and broadcast package designed to elevate the conference’s profile on the network.

The redesign comes as the SEC expands its reach, welcoming the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma and transitioning to a new media rights agreement with ESPN and ABC beginning with the 2024 season.

For decades, the SEC has been synonymous with college football excellence, producing numerous national champions and dominating the sport’s landscape. Since 1996, the conference’s premier weekly game has been a fixture on CBS, occupying the coveted 3:30 p.m. Eastern time slot and becoming one of the most cherished traditions in college football broadcasting.

The move to ABC allows for the coverage to be reimagined for a new era.

The centerpiece of the design is a new brand mark that prominently features the SEC and ABC logos inside a shield, which becomes the primary motion element of the overall package.

“This is the first college rebrand since we redesigned the entire package in 2020. So we were super excited about it… and the SEC represents a new era of college football for ESPN,” said Dale Harney, principal creative director at ESPN Creative Studio, who led the design.

“We’re using this shape, which we nicknamed The Tunnel, as sort of a doorway into the SEC for ESPN,” said Harney. “We use it as a metaphor and also a driver of motion in the animation world. It can drive the motion, but then it all can sort of lead back to the logo as the end result.”

The tunnel concept permeates every aspect of the visual presentation, from insert graphics to animated transitions. It acts as both a metaphorical and literal gateway.

In the insert graphics, the tunnel shape houses team brands and helmets, providing a consistent frame for team-specific content.

Color plays a crucial role in bringing the tunnel concept to life. The design team took the existing SEC color palette — traditionally a muted blue and yellow — and amplified it.

“We blasted everything with color,” Harney said. “We basically took that color scheme and electrified it.”

This color scheme extends beyond the core SEC colors. When showcasing individual schools, the graphics utilize a single, vibrant color for each team. This approach creates a contrast to ESPN’s professional sports packages, which tend to employ darker, moodier tones mixed with precious metals.

“We would have this stark blue environment, and then we had the stark yellow environment, and then we’re sort of transforming between the two using the shield shape as a reference as like a tunnel,” said Harney.

This dynamic use of the tunnel is evident in various elements of the broadcast, including the replay wipe.

“You have the reference of the shield shape sort of on the dashboard [the scorebar], but you go through, it opens up and then you go through it in order to get to the replay,” Harney explained.

To add to the sense of depth and movement, the design incorporates illuminated elements and smoke effects. These effects, created using advanced 3D animation software like Houdini, add a layer of sophistication and energy to the visuals. The smoke, in particular, helps to create a sense of atmosphere and anticipation, suggesting the excitement of a packed stadium on game day.

The tunnel concept also extends into the 3D space, with the shape carved into a helmet design and appearing in the visor of a motion-captured SEC player. These 3D elements appear throughout the animation package, reinforcing the tunnel motif and creating a cohesive visual language.

One of the most scrutinized elements of any sports broadcast package is the score bug. The new “SEC on ABC” score bug features larger, offset numbers that extend beyond the main graphic area.

“Having the numbers sort of come over the top of the bar — that’s new for us,” Harney said. The design allows for a minimal presence on screen, with the option to display team names as needed.

The bug favors team logos over city or school names, which is an uncommon move in college sports. This was only possible, of course, due to the nature of the broadcast rights agreement which focuses on matchups between well-known teams.

“We have like a little tab that goes here that the director can take in and out,” said Harney, noting the full team name can be added when necessary.

The bug also centers key information, like the play clock.

“We’re trying to just create this center area as the spot where if you need information, your eye’s always going there,” Harney said. “The indicator areas on the left and right of the score have a bunch of functionality.”

For instance, when the play clock reaches 10 seconds, these areas turn red and deplete like a gas tank, providing a visual countdown. They also indicate possession and blink to signal touchdowns.

Complementing the score bug are the insert graphics that leverage the tunnel concept. These graphics, used for player statistics, game situations, and other supplementary information, maintain the vibrant color scheme and sleek design of the overall package.

One notable addition to the insert graphics suite is what Harney calls the “Blitz Towers.” These graphics “will pop out left and right according to which team it is,” he explained. This approach allows for the presentation of more detailed information while maintaining visual consistency with the score bug and other on-screen elements.

ESPN has also developed a new set of virtual graphics for use in the broadcast. Built using the latest version Vizrt’s Viz Engine, the virtual graphics allow for more dynamic and immersive presentation of complex information, such as play breakdowns or tactical analyses.

The new package was developed using Cinema 4D with Redshirt and Octane. Key visuals involving smoke and particle effects were created by Already Been Chewed, who has worked with ESPN on other packages including the XFL and UFL, in Houdini.

Font wise, the new look uses Red Zone for numbers and Klavika for text.

ESPN has brought back a familiar theme to set the tone on gameday, re-orchestrating the college football theme used by the network in the late 90s. The new theme is the result of a collaborative effort between the SEC, ESPN Music, ESPN’s college football production team and composer Bob Christianson, who also created the “NHL on ESPN” theme.

“Music is a crucial element in shaping the storytelling of any broadcast,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN president of content. “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 theme is designed to capture the pageantry and passion of SEC football for both longtime fans and new viewers and to give the broadcast a distinct sound compared to other ESPN college football broadcasts.

The “SEC on ABC” is set to make its on-air debut on August 31, 2024, with a triple-header. The day’s schedule includes Clemson vs. Georgia at 12 p.m. Eastern, Miami at Florida at 3:30 p.m., and Notre Dame at Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m.

As college football enters a new era with conference realignments and evolving media landscapes, ESPN’s reimagined “SEC on ABC” package aims to provide a fresh, dynamic viewing experience that matches the excitement on the field.