Former Penn State QB named part of NBC’s Big Ten broadcast team
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The 2023 college football season will break in a new era for the Big Ten’s media rights as the conference begins new partnerships with CBS and NBC in addition to continuing its broadcast partnership with FOX. As the preparations continue for the new season’s broadcast strategy, NBC has officially unveiled its broadcast team for its primetime Big Ten coverage, and a former Penn State quarterback will be a part of the team.
Todd Blackledge, who played quarterback for Penn State’s 1982 national championship team, will be the lead analyst for NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night Football. He will team up with play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle and will be joined by sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen, according to a press release from NBC Sports.
This season will mark Blackledge’s 30th year covering college football in a broadcast format. He joins the new NBC Sports team after a long career working for ABC, CBS, and ESPN. Blackledge took to Twitter to send appreciation to his former colleagues at ESPN after the network wished him best of luck with his next role with NBC.
“Lots of great memories that I will never forget,” Blackledge said of his time with ESPN. “Many wonderful friends that will always be in my heart.”
NBC will feature a Big Ten game in primetime this season as part of the new media rights deal the Big Ten put into place for the 2023 season. FOX will continue to use its Big Noon Kickoff as its major time slot on the college football broadcast schedule. CBS, after the SEC left its relationship with the network to align with ESPN for its game of the week, will use the Big Ten as its marquee game of the week in the 3:30 p.m. ET time slot.
Big Ten games will also be airing on FS1 and Big Ten Network as usual, and NBC Sports will use its Peacock streaming platform to add to the Big Ten viewing experience as well.
It’s a brand new era for Big Ten football coverage, and it will be good to see Blackledge be a part of the experience.
Lots of great memories that I will never forget.
Many wonderful friends that will always be in my heart.
Nobody did football better than the K Crew!❤️ https://t.co/fitzlA9kON— Todd Blackledge (@Todd_Blackledge) February 2, 2023
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