Longtime CBS analyst Gary Danielson to retire after 2025 college football season

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Gary Danielson has worked as CBS Sports' lead college football analyst for 19 seasons. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 2025 college football season will be Gary Danielson’s last at CBS.

The network announced Wednesday that Danielson would retire at the end of the season and would be replaced by Charles Davis as its lead college football analyst. 2025 will be Danielson’s 20th season at CBS and 36th overall as a TV analyst.

“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."

Danielson moved to the network from ESPN and paired with Verne Lundquist to call SEC games on CBS. He’s worked with Brad Nessler since Lundquist retired at the end of the 2016 season. Danielson’s voice became synonymous with the SEC’s top game of the week until CBS Sports’ contract with the conference ended at the 2023 season and CBS picked up Big Ten games in the SEC’s place.

A former Purdue quarterback, Danielson played for the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns before working in TV. Danielson played eight seasons with the Lions from 1976 through 1984 and was with the Browns for three seasons. He completed 57% of his passes for 13,764 yards and 81 TDs with 78 interceptions and started 60 of the 101 games he appeared in.

Davis has been working on CBS’ No. 2 NFL team with Ian Eagle since 2020. According to the Athletic, Davis will work in an undefined role in 2025 before moving to the college side in 2026 and former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt will partner with Eagle in 2025.

“Gary has been the preeminent voice in college football for decades, and someone I have long admired and respected,” Davis said. “It is hard to imagine college football Saturdays without him, but I am thrilled we get one last season with him. There is no replacing Gary, but I am truly honored and humbled to succeed him and call games with Brad Nessler and the incredible Big Ten on CBS team.”

Before joining CBS, Davis was a college football analyst for Fox and was part of their BCS national championship coverage in the 2000s.


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