Chris Fowler
Chris Fowler | |
---|---|
Born | Christopher Brady Fowler August 23, 1962 Denver, Colorado |
Alma mater | University of Colorado Boulder |
Years active | 1982–present |
Sports commentary career | |
Genre(s) | Play-by-play |
Sports | College football NHL hockey (starting in October 2021) Soccer Tennis |
Employer | ESPN |
Website | espnpressroom |
Christopher Brady Fowler (born August 23, 1962) is an American sports broadcaster for ESPN known best for his work on College GameDay, which he hosted between 1990 and 2014, and for college football. From 1990 until 2014, Fowler was the primary studio host for college football. Fowler is also a regular anchor on ESPN for coverage of tennis and soccer.
In 2014, he replaced Brent Musburger as the play-by-play announcer for Saturday Night Football on ABC, having him on ESPN's top announcing team alongside fellow College Gameday's Kirk Herbstreit; this meant he would also be selected to announce one of the two College Football Playoff semifinal games and the College Football National Championship.[1]
Career[]
Prior to joining ESPN, Fowler spent nearly two years at KCNC-TV, then the NBC affiliate in Denver, as a production assistant, a producer/writer and as a sports reporter. In 1984, he worked for several months at KMGH-TV in the same city as an intern in the sports department.
Fowler joined ESPN in July 1986 as the host/reporter of Scholastic Sports America, a stint which lasted two years. In 1988, he began serving as a college football sideline reporter for two seasons. While on the college football beat, Fowler conducted an exclusive interview with former star University of Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson, who was in prison at the time on drug charges.
He began as host of the College GameDay football road show in 1990 and expanded to ESPN's other Saturday college football segments in 1991.
After Charles Woodson won the 1997 Heisman Trophy over Tennessee's Peyton Manning, Tennessee fans blamed ESPN and in particular, Fowler, who had emceed the award ceremony and handed the trophy to Woodson. Fowler received abuse from Tennessee fans (and he described the reaction as "trailer park frenzy" on a radio show), and GameDay avoided shooting on the Tennessee campus for several years that followed.[2]
In February 2015, ESPN announced Rece Davis will take over for Fowler as host of GameDay, but that Fowler will continue his play-by-play role on Saturday Night Football on ABC and College Football Playoff games, and as host of the annual Heisman Trophy presentations.[3]
Until 2006, he was also the lead studio host of College Basketball on ESPN. Fowler has also worked with ESPN's Summer X Games from 1995 to 2000 and the Winter X Games from 1998 to 2000 as well as horse racing broadcasts, including the Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championship on ESPN. In addition, he serves as the head play-by-play for tennis tournaments broadcast on ESPN, including Wimbledon, Australian Open, French Open and for the US Open being broadcast for the first year in 2009 on ESPN. In 2010, he anchored, along with Mike Tirico, ESPN's and ABC's month-long coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In 2020, Fowler announced the first game of the Monday Night Football Kickoff Week doubleheader alongside Kirk Herbstreit.[4]
He is also the host of the ESPN Classic show SportsCentury.
He was the host of the Seattle Kraken's expansion draft coverage which was the first ESPN hockey event with the NHL since 2004. During the telecast he would make an regrettable error in calling the Carolina Hurricanes the “Carolina Panthers”. This led to both teams Twitter accounts switching logos mocking him.
Along with fellow College Gameday hosts Lee Corso and Desmond Howard, in 2007 Fowler broadcast College Gameday from Williams College for its homecoming game against Amherst College, the first and only time College Gameday has covered a Division III game.[5] Fowler has called the experience, and Williams' tradition of "The Walk" up Spring Street following a victory over Amherst, "one of the best traditions in college football." Fowler joined the Williams football players in St. Pierre barbershop following the game to celebrate Williams' victory.[6]
Games Called[]
2011[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
December 22 | Arizona State 24 | #7 Boise State 56 | 2011 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas |
December 30 | Rutgers 27 | Iowa State 13 | 2011 Pinstripe Bowl |
2012[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
December 29 | West Virginia 14 | Syracuse 38 | 2012 Pinstripe Bowl |
2013[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
December 28 | Rutgers 16 | Notre Dame 29 | 2013 Pinstripe Bowl |
2014[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
August 30 | #1 Florida State 37 | Oklahoma State 31 | Cowboys Classic |
September 6 | #14 USC 13 | #13 Stanford 10 | |
September 13 | Tennessee 10 | #4 Oklahoma 34 | |
September 20 | #22 Clemson 17 | #1 Florida State 23 (OT) | |
September 27 | #8 Notre Dame 31 | Syracuse 15 | |
October 4 | #19 Nebraska 22 | #10 Michigan State 27 | |
October 11 | #3 Ole Miss 35 | #14 Texas A&M 20 | |
October 18 | #5 Notre Dame 27 | #2 Florida State 31 | |
October 25 | #3 Ole Miss 7 | #24 LSU 10 | |
November 1 | #7 TCU 31 | #20 West Virginia 30 | |
November 8 | #14 Ohio State 49 | #8 Michigan State 37 | |
November 15 | #3 Florida State 30 | Miami 26 | |
November 22 | #20 Missouri 29 | Tennessee 21 | |
November 29 | Florida 19 | #3 Florida State 24 | |
December 6 | #4 Florida State 37 | #11 Georgia Tech 35 | 2014 ACC Championship Game |
January 1, 2015 | #2 Oregon 59 | #3 Florida State 20 | 2015 Rose Bowl |
January 12, 2015 | #2 Oregon 20 | #4 Ohio State 42 | 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2015[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 5 | #20 Wisconsin 17 | #3 Alabama 35 | Advocare Classic |
September 7 | #1 Ohio State 42 | Virginia Tech 24 | |
September 19 | #15 Ole Miss 43 | #2 Alabama 37 | |
September 26 | #9 UCLA 56 | #16 Arizona 30 | |
October 3 | #6 Notre Dame 22 | #12 Clemson 24 | |
October 10 | Miami 24 | #12 Florida State 29 | |
October 17 | Penn State 10 | #1 Ohio State 38 | |
October 24 | #1 Ohio State 49 | Rutgers 7 | |
October 31 | #9 Notre Dame 24 | #21 Temple 20 | |
November 7 | #16 Florida State 13 | #1 Clemson 23 | |
November 14 | #12 Oklahoma 44 | #6 Baylor 34 | |
November 21 | #9 Michigan State 17 | #3 Ohio State 14 | |
November 28 | #3 Oklahoma 58 | #11 Oklahoma State 23 | |
December 5 | #10 North Carolina 37 | #1 Clemson 45 | 2015 ACC Championship Game |
December 31 | #3 Michigan State 0 | #2 Alabama 38 | 2015 Cotton Bowl |
January 11, 2016 | #2 Alabama 45 | #1 Clemson 40 | 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2016[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 3 | #20 USC 6 | #1 Alabama 52 | Advocare Classic |
September 5 | #11 Ole Miss 34 | #4 Florida State 45 | Camping World Kickoff |
September 17 | #2 Florida State 20 | #10 Louisville 63 | |
September 24 | #7 Stanford 22 | UCLA 13 | |
October 1 | #3 Louisville 36 | #5 Clemson 42 | |
October 8 | #23 Florida State 20 | #10 Miami 19 | |
October 15 | #2 Ohio State 30 | #8 Wisconsin 23 (OT) | |
October 22 | #2 Ohio State 21 | Penn State 24 | |
October 29 | #3 Clemson 37 | #12 Florida State 34 | |
November 5 | #9 Nebraska 3 | #6 Ohio State 62 | |
November 12 | #3 Michigan 13 | Iowa 14 | |
November 19 | #8 Oklahoma 56 | #10 West Virginia 28 | |
November 26 | #3 Michigan 27 | #2 Ohio State 30 | |
December 3 | #3 Clemson 42 | #19 Virginia Tech 35 | 2016 ACC Championship Game |
December 31 | #3 Ohio State 0 | #2 Clemson 31 | 2016 Fiesta Bowl |
January 2, 2017 | #9 USC 52 | #5 Penn State 49 | 2017 Rose Bowl |
January 9, 2017 | #2 Clemson 35 | #1 Alabama 31 | 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2017[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 2 | #3 Florida State 7 | #1 Alabama 24 | Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game |
September 9 | #5 Oklahoma 31 | #2 Ohio State 16 | |
September 16 | #3 Clemson 47 | #14 Louisville 21 | Originally scheduled to be Miami/Florida State; postponed due to Hurricane Irma. |
September 23 | #4 Penn State 21 | Iowa 19 | |
September 30 | #2 Clemson 31 | #12 Virginia Tech 17 | |
October 7 | Michigan State 14 | #7 Michigan 10 | |
October 14 | Arkansas 9 | #1 Alabama 41 | |
October 21 | #19 Michigan 13 | #2 Penn State 42 | |
October 28 | Georgia Tech 10 | #7 Clemson 24 | |
November 4 | #13 Virginia Tech 10 | #9 Miami 28 | |
November 11 | #3 Notre Dame 8 | #7 Miami 41 | |
November 18 | UCLA 23 | #12 USC 28 | |
November 25 | #9 Notre Dame 20 | #20 Stanford 38 | |
December 2 | #7 Miami 3 | #1 Clemson 38 | 2017 ACC Championship Game |
January 1, 2018 | #3 Georgia 52 (2OT) | #2 Oklahoma 48 | 2018 Rose Bowl |
January 8, 2018 | #4 Alabama 26 (OT) | #3 Georgia 23 | 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2018[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 1 | #1 Alabama 51 | Louisville 14 | Camping World Kickoff |
September 3 | #20 Virginia Tech 24 | #19 Florida State 3 | |
September 15 | #4 Ohio State 40 | #15 TCU 28 | Game played at AT&T Stadium |
September 22 | #7 Stanford 38 | #20 Oregon 31 (OT) | |
September 29 | #4 Ohio State 27 | #9 Penn State 26 | |
October 6 | #6 Notre Dame 45 | #24 Virginia Tech 23 | |
October 13 | #15 Wisconsin 13 | #12 Michigan 38 | |
October 20 | #2 Ohio State 20 | Purdue 49 | |
October 27 | #6 Texas 35 | Oklahoma State 38 | |
November 3 | #14 Penn State 7 | #5 Michigan 42 | |
November 10 | #2 Clemson 27 | #17 Boston College 7 | |
November 17 | #19 Cincinnati 13 | #11 UCF 38 | |
November 24 | #3 Notre Dame 24 | USC 17 | |
December 1 | #2 Clemson 42 | Pittsburgh 10 | 2018 ACC Championship Game |
December 29 | #4 Oklahoma 34 | #1 Alabama 45 | 2018 Orange Bowl |
January 1, 2019 | #9 Washington 23 | #6 Ohio State 28 | 2019 Rose Bowl |
January 7, 2019 | #2 Clemson 44 | #1 Alabama 16 | 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2019[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
August 24 | Miami 20 | #8 Florida 24 | Camping World Kickoff |
August 31 | #11 Oregon 21 | #16 Auburn 27 | Advocare Classic |
September 2 | #9 Notre Dame 35 | Louisville 17 | |
September 14 | Pittsburgh 10 | #13 Penn State 17 | Fowler broadcast this game with Todd Blackledge (a Penn State alum) and Holly Rowe. Sean McDonough broadcast the Clemson-Syracuse game with Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor. Sean was honored by Syracuse University with the George Arents Award. |
September 21 | Oklahoma State 30 | #12 Texas 36 | |
September 28 | #5 Ohio State 48 | Nebraska 7 | |
October 5 | #25 Michigan State 10 | #4 Ohio State 34 | |
October 12 | #7 Florida 28 | #5 LSU 42 | |
October 19 | #16 Michigan 21 | #7 Penn State 28 | |
October 26 | #8 Notre Dame 14 | #19 Michigan 45 | |
November 2 | #15 SMU 48 | #24 Memphis 54 | |
November 9 | #5 Clemson 56 | NC State 10 | |
November 16 | #10 Oklahoma 34 | #13 Baylor 31 | |
November 23 | #6 Oregon 28 | Arizona State 31 | |
November 30 | #12 Wisconsin 38 | #8 Minnesota 17 | |
December 6 | #5 Utah 15 | #13 Oregon 37 | 2019 Pac-12 Championship Game |
December 28 | #3 Clemson 29 | #2 Ohio State 23 | 2019 Fiesta Bowl |
January 1, 2020 | #6 Oregon 28 | #8 Wisconsin 27 | 2020 Rose Bowl |
January 13, 2020 | #3 Clemson 25 | #1 LSU 42 | 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2020[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers 26 | New York Giants 16 | Game 1 of the annual Week 1 Monday Night Football doubleheader. NFL debut |
September 19 | #17 Miami 47 | #18 Louisville 34 | Originally Virginia Tech–Virginia, postponed due to COVID-19 positives at Virginia Tech. |
September 26 | Florida State 10 | #12 Miami 52 | |
October 3 | #7 Auburn 6 | #4 Georgia 27 | |
October 10 | #7 Miami 17 | #1 Clemson 42 | |
October 17 | LSU | #10 Florida | Postponed due to COVID-19 positives at Florida. |
October 24 | #18 Michigan 49 | #21 Minnesota 24 | |
October 31 | #3 Ohio State 38 | #18 Penn State 25 | |
November 7 | Stanford 14 | #12 Oregon 35 | Game was briefly moved to ESPNEWS due to ABC News’ coverage of Joe Biden's victory address to the nation. |
November 14 | #13 Wisconsin 49 | Michigan 11 | |
November 21 | #14 Oklahoma State 13 | #18 Oklahoma 41 | |
November 27 | #2 Notre Dame 31 | #19 North Carolina 17 | |
December 5 | #4 Clemson 45 | Virginia Tech 10 | |
December 12 | #17 North Carolina 62 | #10 Miami 26 | |
December 19 | #3 Clemson 34 | #2 Notre Dame 10 | 2020 ACC Championship Game |
January 1, 2021 | #3 Ohio State 49 | #2 Clemson 28 | 2021 Sugar Bowl |
January 11, 2021 | #3 Ohio State 24 | #1 Alabama 52 | 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship |
2021[]
Date | Away | Home | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 4 | #5 Georgia 10 | #3 Clemson 3 | Duke's Mayo Classic |
September 18 | #22 Auburn 20 | #10 Penn State 28 | |
September 25 | West Virginia 13 | #4 Oklahoma 16 | |
October 2 | #8 Arkansas 0 | #2 Georgia 37 | |
October 9 | #6 Oklahoma 55 | #21 Texas 48 | |
October 16 | TCU 31 | #4 Oklahoma 52 | |
October 23 | #10 Oregon 34 | UCLA 31 | |
October 30 | #20 Penn State 24 | #5 Ohio State 33 | |
November 6 | LSU 14 | #2 Alabama 20 | |
November 13 | #11 Texas A&M 19 | #15 Ole Miss 29 | |
November 20 | #7 Michigan State 7 | #4 Ohio State 56 | |
November 27 | #10 Oklahoma 33 | #7 Oklahoma State 37 | |
December 3 | #10 Oregon 10 | #17 Utah 38 | 2021 Pac-12 Championship Game |
December 31 | #3 Georgia 34 | #2 Michigan 11 | 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl |
January 1, 2022 | #11 Utah 45 | #6 Ohio State 48 | 2022 Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X |
January 8, 2022 | Kansas City Chiefs 28 | Denver Broncos 24 | Week 18 Monday Night Football doubleheader game |
January 10, 2022 | #3 Georgia 33 | #1 Alabama 18 | 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game presented by AT&T |
Education[]
A graduate of the University of Colorado in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Fowler was the first recipient of the Alan Berg Memorial Journalism Scholarship, awarded by the Denver Press Club.
While an undergraduate, Fowler, a Denver-area native, served as a producer and co-host for a weekly magazine program aired over a cable television system in Boulder, Colorado from 1983 to 1985. He also spent two years as sports director at KAIR-AM, the university's radio station. From 1982 to 1984, he covered high school sports for the Rocky Mountain News.
Personal life[]
Born in Denver, Fowler grew up in Rockford, Illinois[7] and State College, Pennsylvania where his father, Knox, was a theater professor at Penn State University.[8] When he was a teenager, his family moved back to Colorado and he graduated from General William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs in 1980.[9]
Fowler is married to former fitness model/instructor Jennifer Dempster, who appeared on ESPN in the 1990s on the show BodyShaping.[10]
References[]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Chris Fowler |
- ^ Michael Humes, Chris Fowler Signs Extension with ESPN Through 2023, ESPN Media Zone, March 13, 2014
- ^ Hinton, Matt (May 24, 2011). "Excerpt: Peyton Manning's Heisman snub was not Chris Fowler's fault, and he can prove it". Dr. Saturday. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ Potts, Keri (February 5, 2015). "Rece Davis Signs Multi-Year Agreement with ESPN, Named New Host of College Gameday" (Press release). ESPN.
- ^ Al-Khateeb, Zac (September 14, 2020). "Why are Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler announcing 'Monday Night Football'?".
- ^ https://www.espn.com/college-football/columns/story?columnist=fowler_chris&id=3099894
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjBZi6tCGxo
- ^ Harvey, Eron (July 11, 2015). "Sports broadcaster Chris Fowler claims Rockford as his hometown". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ Deitsch, Richard (August 21, 2013). "ESPN's Chris Fowler talks College GameDay; Fox Sports 1 launches". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ "Chris Fowler, ESPN" (PDF). Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links[]
- Chris Fowler at IMDb
- Chris Fowler ESPN Bio
- 1962 births
- Living people
- American horse racing announcers
- American soccer commentators
- American television sports announcers
- College basketball announcers in the United States
- College football announcers
- ESPN people
- People from Colorado Springs, Colorado
- People from the Denver metropolitan area
- Tennis commentators
- University of Colorado alumni
- University of Colorado Boulder alumni