Matt Barrie replacement as ESPN’s college football studio host named as 2026 teams announced

Alyssa Lang appears to be in line for a brand new role.

The longtime ESPN and SEC Network sideline reporter announced on Tuesday that she will still be working College Football (CFB) Saturdays, but not in the role that she is used to.

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This comes after she was omitted from ESPN’s list of commentator teams for the 2026-27 season.

“Still going to be working CFB Saturdays! Just in a different role. Will share more soon ,” Lang posted to X on Tuesday.

Lang has been with ESPN and SEC Network since the summer of 2018, where she has served as one of the hosts of ‘SEC Now’ alongside Peter Burns and Dari Nowkhah.

Although her new role has not yet been officially announced, a report from Matt Connolly of AL.com suggests that she could be replacing Matt Barrie as the host of ESPN’s college football studio wrap-arounds.

Should this move be confirmed, this would mean that she would handle those dues on both Fridays and Saturdays.

This comes after Barrie was announced as the successor to Laura Rutledge as the new host of ‘SEC Nation’ following her exit from the show after almost a decade.

Per ESPN’s announcement, Barrie will also be joining Chase Daniel and Paul Carcaterra for Thursday nights in primetime on ESPN, with the trio set to travel to the top American and Sun Belt showdowns on a weekly basis.

Daniel will also join Barrie in forming part of the new-look ‘SEC Nation’ team that takes place on SEC Network on Saturday mornings.

This comes after the multi-faceted Barrie was awarded a multi-year contract extension to remain with ESPN.

ESPN’s 2026-27 teams announced

Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and reporter Holly Rowe were once again confirmed as the lead team on ABC and ESPN, while Steve Shaw joins as the college football rules analysts.

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The secondary crew of Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, and Katie George are pairing up for the first time together as a broadcast team.

Of course McDonough, who was named the NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year earlier this year, and McElroy have been partnered together for the previous three seasons.

There is also a promotion for Molly McGrath at ESPN, who makes the switch from college football to the NFL, just in time for the Super Bowl.

McGrath will be the sideline reporter for NFL Network’s package –following their inclusion under the Disney umbrella in exchange for a 10 percent stake in ESPN – while she is also tipped to take a studio role on ‘NFL Live’ when Rutledge isn’t in the chair.

“I’m thrilled to expand my role within ESPN’s NFL coverage and for the opportunity to showcase a broader range of skills, from sideline reporting to hosting in studio, while diving deeper into the sport at the highest level,” McGrath said of her new role.

“Joining ESPN’s NFL coverage during its Year of the Super Bowl makes this moment even more special and fulfills a lifelong dream.

“I’m grateful to ESPN for this opportunity and excited to bring the same preparation, passion, and commitment that have guided my work in college football to our NFL audience.”