College Football HQ

Gary Danielson to retire after 2025 college football season

The long-time voice of college football on CBS will hang it up after this season.

James Parks

Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

CBS Sports college football analyst Gary Danielson will retire at the end of the 2025 football season, the network announced on Wednesday.

Charles Davis will succeed Danielson as the color analyst for CBS on college football games going forward alongside play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler and sideline reporter Jenny Dell.

“I have had the greatest seat in the house for 36 years and have loved every minute of it,” Danielson said in a statement released by CBS.

“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.”

Danielson joined CBS Sports as the network’s primary college football analyst in 2006 after working at ESPN and ABC Sports.

The former Purdue and NFL quarterback joined announcer Verne Lundquist on the network’s “SEC on CBS” broadcasts for nearly two decades before Nessler succeeded Lundquist in 2017.

CBS ended its long-time relationship with the SEC starting last season and began broadcasting Big Ten football games.

Davis, a former running back for Tennessee, has been involved in college football broadcasting for more than two decades at the national level.

“For the past two decades, Charles has been among the best analysts across the NFL and college football,” CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson said.

“He’s well known to fans, from calling college football national championships to NFL playoff games to the voice of ‘Madden NFL.’ We’re thrilled Charles will be returning to his roots -- college football -- and calling our top Big Ten game each week.”

Danielson will retire as the longest-tenured college football in-game analyst after a 36-year career in television.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.

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