Josh Pate Breaks Silence Amid Rumors of ESPN Launching New College Football Show

Rumors emerged this week that ESPN is on the verge of debuting a brand new college football program this fall, but at this stage it’s all still just a rumor.

Bussin’ With The Boys podcast hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton would reportedly be involved, as would college football analyst Josh Pate.

Not that Pate is confirming such a show will exist. But if it did, he thinks it would be a great idea.

"What a concept"

“I saw those rumors just like you did, and I thought to myself, ‘Self, if there’s validity to those reports, wow, what a concept, wow, what a time those guys could have,’ if those reports are real,” Pate said with Lewan on Bussin’ With The Boys.

Unconfirmed reports suggest a major network may launch a Friday CFB show this fall

Probably nothing…but what if it DOES happen? pic.twitter.com/zm3xU7OXjx
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) July 28, 2026

“All I’m saying is college football is the No. 2 sport in this country. And said network that the report linked those three men to, it’s the biggest sports media network on the planet.

“So if that sports media network – conglomerate, if you will, behemoth – were to lean more into college football, it’s gotta be a win for America.”

A Focus on the College Football Friday experience

Most college football shows naturally focus on the Saturday itself, pitching a tent on a campus and giving analysis right before a game kicks off that day, but there could be an idea for a program that takes in the unique atmosphere of the day before the game.

“Friday is the build. Friday is the shaking up of the Saturday Coke bottle and you can feel the pressure building,” Pate said.

“You see that line of cars, it looks like red ants, just marching into town at night. I want a show – if this stuff’s gonna happen, allegedly – I want a show that captures that.

He added: “The vibe of Friday. The vibe of T-minus 24 hours, 21 hours, 17 hours. And it may be all quiet right now, but when that clock hits zero tomorrow, it’s gonna be all out chaos. Something needs to encapsulate that feeling.”

Notable timing for ESPN

The possible introduction of a new college football show with new on-air personalities comes at the exact same time ESPN is going through some prominent layoffs.

News of the program landed three days after the network cut ties with eight analysts, including veteran Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero, Cam Newton, Charles Davis, and others like Ryan Clark, who was reputedly told he was fired while doing a spot for NFL Live.

Now, the four-letter appears to be on the cusp of bringing new faces to its college football coverage this fall.

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