There was some confusion a few weeks ago when ESPN unveiled an anthem for the SEC on ABC, a new rendition of Lenny Kravitz and Quavo’s “Fly Away,” which turned out to be the theme song of the marketing campaign. This morning, ESPN released the real SEC theme song on ABC, and it’s also a throwback.
The global leader has dipped into the vault and revamped the old ESPN College Football theme from the early 2000s, which will feature the SEC game of the week every Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. All 16 schools get some love in the minute-and-a-half-long clip, which also shows off the new graphics package.
“Music is a crucial element in shaping the storytelling of any show,” ESPN Content President Burke Magnus said in a press release. “The opportunity to resurrect a theme song that means so much to college football fans, and to many of us at ESPN, was important as we begin this new chapter in our relationship with the SEC.”
“By reaching back to the past and connecting to the present, ESPN brings a touch of tradition to a new era of SEC televised sports,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This re-orchestrated lineup will enhance the presentation of SEC football on ABC by bringing some nostalgia to the new SEC Saturday television experience.”
The SEC on ABC begins Saturday with No. 19 Miami at Florida (3:30 p.m.) and No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M (7:30 p.m.). After opening the season against Southern Miss (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network), Kentucky will take its turn in the ABC spotlight in Weeks 2 and 3 against South Carolina (September 7, 3:30 p.m.) and Georgia (September 14, 7:30 p.m.).
There’s no greater theme than the SEC on CBS, which is now owned by the Big Ten as the SEC’s deal with CBS is up, but I appreciate that ESPN is going for nostalgia. Maybe it will grow on me.
SEC Week 1 Schedule
SEC Football begins TONIGHT with Missouri vs. Murray State and Arkansas vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Here is the schedule for week 1 so you can plan accordingly.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform |
| Thursday August 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Arkansas (from Little Rock) | ESPNU |
| 8 p.m. | Murray State at No. 11 Missouri | SEC Network | |
| Friday August 30 | 7 p.m. | Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma | ESPN |
| Sat. August 31 | Noon | No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (from Atlanta) | ABC |
| Noon | Virginia Tech at Vanderbilt | ESPN | |
| 12:45 p.m. | Chattanooga at No. 15 Tennessee | SEC Network | |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 19 Miami in Florida | ABC | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Colorado State at No. 4 Texas | ESPN | |
| 4:15 p.m. | Old Dominion in South Carolina | SEC Network | |
| 6 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky in the State of Mississippi | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 7 p.m. | Western Kentucky in Alabama | ESPN | |
| 7 p.m. | Furman at No. 6 Ole Miss | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M | ABC | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Alabama A&M at Auburn | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 7:45 p.m. | Miss Southern Kentucky | SEC Network | |
| Sunday September 1st | 7:30 p.m. | No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (from Las Vegas) | ABC |
