ESPN College Football Announcer Responds To Playoff Accusations

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ESPN college football announcer Chris Fowler hears the accusations.

College football fans believe that ESPN somehow plays a role in the College Football Playoff rankings, which are always scrutinized and raked over. Some fans believe that ESPN wants certain teams in the College Football Playoff – the big-named teams that draw ratings, of course – while pushing other teams out of the race.

On Wednesday, longtime ESPN announcer Chris Fowler responded to the accusations against the network. He made a promise to the fans.

Fowler appeared on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday. He was asked by the former "SportsCenter" host about the accusations.

The ESPN host "promises" that the network plays no role in determining the College Football Playoff rankings.

Fowler's "promise" to the fans

“If you asked your viewers, they’d say it’s everything,” Fowler said. “I mean, they think that ESPN’s pulling the strings. ‘We want the biggest brands.’ I promise you, we play no part in that.”

Fowler, meanwhile, knows that he'll never convince the conspiracy critics.

“You’re never going to dissuade the conspiracy theorists because they’re everywhere,” Fowler said.

Fowler defended Alabama's ranking, too.

“I think they jumped up because the question of excluding a team that makes the SEC Championship Game and then loses after beating Georgia on the road in the regular season is pretty tricky, right?” Fowler said of the Crimson Tide. “That would be the first three-loss team to get in. Alabama wouldn’t get in because it’s a big brand, in my opinion.”

ESPN's "College GameDay" will air live from the SEC Championship Game on Saturday morning.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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