After nearly four decades behind the mic and two decades as the voice of college football on CBS, veteran analyst Gary Danielson is stepping away.
CBS Sports confirmed that the 2025 college football season will be Danielson’s last as a broadcaster.
Danielson, who joined CBS in 2006, announced his retirement plans last week. The longtime analyst will complete his 20th season with the network this fall before officially signing off.
NFL analyst and former player Charles Davis has been tapped as Danielson’s replacement for CBS’s college football coverage beginning in 2026.
“I have had the greatest seat in the house for 36 years and have loved every minute of it,” Danielson said in a statement. “I have discussed the timing of this moment with CBS Sports leadership over the past few years and we felt it was important I remained with the team during our transition to the Big Ten.
:As we enter our second full season of Big Ten football and my 20th at CBS Sports, the timing just feels right. I have so much respect for Charles Davis as both a person and an analyst. He is going to shine in this role and fit so well with this team.
“I have been blessed to work with incredible teammates throughout my career and I look forward to one more memorable season with Brad, Jenny, Craig Silver, Steve Milton and the crew.”
While Danielson’s farewell is being met with praise and reflection, many longtime viewers couldn’t resist poking fun at his perceived SEC allegiance.
For years, Danielson was the lead voice for CBS’s SEC Game of the Week broadcasts and became synonymous with powerhouse programs like Alabama and Georgia – much to the frustration of fans across other conferences.
In a recent appearance on the See Ball Get Ball podcast hosted by former ESPN analyst David Pollack, Danielson addressed the SEC loyalist label that followed him throughout his tenure.
“One of the things that I tried to do is not to pretend to be an SEC guy. I thought that was an insult to the SEC fans,” Danielson admitted. “That I just joined in and go, ‘I’m one of you guys.’ I didn’t earn that. You (Pollack) earned that by playing in this league. You grew up. I tried to call balls and strikes and stay in the middle.
“Did it work perfect? Maybe not. You know, the social media kind of ran with it. But it worked good for me. That was what I liked doing… I respected everything about the whole league and what I was doing every week, I’ll tell you that.”
Though Danielson has received criticism at times from fans, he’s also earned multiple Emmy nominations during his career and is widely respected in the industry for his knowledge and professionalism.
As he gets ready to call Big Ten games in his final season, the veteran analyst remains a central figure in the sport’s evolving media landscape – even if the SEC jokes are likely to follow him to the very end.
Of course, Danielson isn’t the only analyst who’s been accused of having an SEC-bias. After ESPN officially took over as the home of SEC football, many of the network’s analysts have been accused of becoming cheerleaders for the conference.
What are your thoughts on the whole “SEC-bias” issue???
