ESPN Breathes New Life Into College Football Graphics Package for 2020-21 Season

ESPN’s 2020-21 college football coverage kicks off on Saturday and fans are in store for a whole new look thanks to ESPN’s Creative Services Team. ESPN’s Creative Services department has completely redesigned the sport’s branding and graphics leading into the 2020-21 campaign. The team has reinvented the college football clock and score design and technical build, as well as the logos for ESPN’s college football presentations across all platforms – all while while working largely from home during the pandemic.

Among those leading the charge for ESPN Creative Services were Senior Creative Director Carol Boyle, Creative Director Tim O’Shaughnessy,  Senior Director of Production Design & Animation Pam Neff, and Motion Graphics Design Supervisors Dana Drezek and Lindsay Reiff.

ESPN Front Row reports that more than 50 ESPN employees worked from home to create thousands of animations in just four months to make the new graphics package a reality. Despite the pandemic forcing the team to work from home since March, ESPN Creative Services was was able to pivot to remote-production solutions in order to create entirely new event and studio graphics packages to utilize across its various platforms.

In addition to the new look for ESPN’s presentation of college football, the Creative Services crew also built new graphics and animation packages for all NCAA Championships, the American Athletic Conference, and the Big 12 Conference.

Among the highlights of the new package is an updated clock and score design, which will remain on-screen at all times and morph into many different layouts and shapes based on the needs of the game and production.

ESPN’s coverage of the 2020-21 college football season begins on Saturday, August 29, with the seventh annual Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff, as Austin Peay and Central Arkansas play in the Week 0 showcase at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Matt Barrie and Mike Golic, Jr. will call the action in studio from Bristol, while reporter Lauren Sisler will be live from the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, AL, to start ESPN’s college football campaign.

For an in-depth look at the new package and how it came about, check out ESPN Front Row’s “The Willy Wonkas of Graphics” – ESPN’s Creative Services Team Works Their Work-From-Home Magic with New College Football Graphics and Animation

New ESPN College Football Anthem Featuring Juice WRLD & Marshmello’s ‘Come & Go’

In addition to a new graphics package, ESPN has also released its 2020-21 college football anthem that will usher in a new season.

Serving as the video’s musical backdrop is Juice WRLD and Marshmello’s hit track, “Come & Go,” off of Juice WRLD’s record-shattering posthumous album, Legends Never Die. The album debuted at No. 1 and spent two weeks at the top spot. It has since spawned six singles in the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Come & Go.”

Born Jarad Higgins, Juice WRLD quickly became a critically acclaimed and culturally adored Top Ten hitmaker delivering introspective lyrics atop melodic production. The award-winning songwriter and artist’s sophomore effort, A Death Race for Love (2019), landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart marking his rapid ascent. Prior to his death, he collaborated with many of the biggest names in music, including artist, producer and DJ, Marshmello.

“Juice was like no other and was one of the most talented individuals I’ve ever met,” said Marshmello. “Musically we connected so well and working with him was some of the most memorable moments of my life. ‘Come & Go’ is a track that represents both of us and proves that he lives through his music forever! Legends Never Die.”

Since 2014, ESPN has featured a recurring anthem song throughout the college football season within its programming, promotion and telecasts. Past anthems have featured other popular tracks from artists like Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons, and Judah & the Lion.

ESPN’s College Football Slate Kicks Off Saturday

ESPN’s coverage of the 2020-21 college football season begins Saturday night, Aug. 29, with the seventh annual Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff, as Austin Peay and Central Arkansas play in the Week 0 showcase at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Matt Barrie and Mike Golic, Jr. will call the action in studio from Bristol, while reporter Lauren Sisler will be live from the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., to start ESPN’s college football campaign.

The network’s Week 1 schedule features four Labor Day Weekend games on ESPN, highlighted by Monday’s BYU-Navy matchup in primetime from Annapolis (8 p.m.), featuring Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Allison Williams. ESPN will have a busy Saturday of showdowns, including Eastern Kentucky at Marshall (1 p.m.), SMU at Texas State (4:30 p.m.) and Arkansas State at Memphis (8 p.m.).

 

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