SEC Network Set for 50 hours of Original Studio Programming Live from Tampa, July 20-23

Announcement courtesy of ESPN PR

• Special edition of SEC Nation Presented by Kinder’s to kick off festivities on Sunday, July 19 at 7 p.m. ET
• SEC Now: Live from SEC Football Media Days primetime special airs Tuesday, July 21, on SECN and ESPN2
• SEC Storied: Becoming Hines Ward premieres Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m.
• More than a dozen on-air personalities to provide analysis and insight from Atlanta

SEC Network gears up to host 50 hours of live studio programming surrounding the 2026 SEC Kickoff Presented by Regions Bank. SEC This Morning, SEC Now Presented by Regions Bank and The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Regions Bank will showcase the event in its entirety from Tampa.

A special edition of SEC Nation Presented by Kinder’s will kick off the action on Sunday night at SEC Kickoff Fan Fest. The show will introduce new host Matt Barrie and new desk analyst Chase Daniel as well as returning analysts Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper and Tim Tebow. The show will air from Thunder Alley at Benchmark International Arena on SEC Network from 7-8 p.m. ET. 

SEC Network calls upon an extensive roster of college football commentators who will contribute to the presence at the Tampa Marriott, including Harper, Finebaum, Cole Cubelic, Chris Doering, Dusty Dvoracek, Gene Chizik, Greg McElroy, Jordan Rodgers, Nick Saban and Benjamin Watson. Studio hosts for the four-day conference media day kickoff include Dari Nowkhah, Peter Burns, Alyssa Lang and Finebaum.

SEC This Morning
SEC This Morning, with hosts Burns and Doering, returns for its eighth SEC Kickoff. The duo hits on all the headlines and highlights from around the conference. The show will simulcast on SEC Network (and Sirius XM channel 374) live from Tampa and will air at 7 a.m. ET each day until podium action kicks off.  

SEC Now Presented by Regions Bank
SEC Now Presented by Regions Bank will have full coverage of the Kickoff, beginning at 9 a.m. Monday. Burns, Nowkhah and Lang will trade hosting duties as coaches and players from all 16 SEC teams stop by the set during their time at the event. Viewers can expect insight and analysis of each member school throughout the more than two dozen hours of coverage.

A special edition of SEC Now: Live from SEC Football Media Days Presented by Regions Bank will air Tuesday night during primetime on ESPN2 and SEC Network (8 p.m.). Lang hosts the one-hour show, joined by Finebaum, McElroy, Rodgers and Watson.

The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Regions Bank
Viewers can tune into The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Regions Bank each afternoon, catching up with Paul as multiple coaches, players and media join the set. The show, which will have reactions to the latest news and buzz of the annual college football kickoff event, will also broadcast on ESPN Radio.

SEC Startup Presented by Regions Bank
In its third year, SEC Startup Presented by Regions Bank will air on Monday, July 20 at 7 p.m. following the opening day of the 2026 SEC Kickoff. In a continued commitment to academic excellence and achievement, the Southeastern Conference is expanding its academic competition portfolio in support of business and innovation efforts.

The program, hosted by Nowkhah, is a student-athlete pitch competition designed to foster entrepreneurship. Competitors will have an opportunity to present their businesses to a panel of judges during a televised competition, providing additional exposure for the young entrepreneurs, and awards allocated to the student-athletes based on the company’s business plan and the presentation pitch.

Additional Programming Highlights:

• Marty & McGee: Talkin’ Season – Marty Smith and Ryan McGee chat with all 16 head coaches and several student-athletes, meeting at the crossroads of southern culture and college football. This is the eighth SEC Kickoff for this duo, who became the talk of talking season back in 2018 when asking what side coaches stood on: biscuits or cornbread. The conversations will be produced in three specials, the first of which will air at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10. Then, on Tuesday, Aug. 11, SEC Network will air back-to-back specials beginning at 7 p.m.  
• SEC Storied: Becoming Hines Ward – From a Super Bowl MVP to a man searching for peace, SEC Storied: “Becoming Hines Ward” reveals the untold story of the man behind the jersey and his journey of identity and belonging. The film, directed by Jeremy Williams, debuts Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
• Podium Pressers – All 18 press conferences, including the 16 SEC head football coaches, Commissioner Greg Sankey and SEC Coordinator of Football Officials John McDaid, will be available in their entirety on SEC Network+. Coverage will also feature podium appearances by select players.
• SEC Network Digital – SEC Network Digital will have comprehensive, on-site coverage from Tampa, including exclusive behind-the-scenes highlights, digital content on SECNetwork.com and more.

Find full details regarding ESPN’s comprehensive coverage of conference media days here.  

SEC Network Programming – SEC Kickoff

* Simulcast on ESPN2

About SEC Network

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN launched SEC Network on August 14, 2014. The network televises hundreds of games across the SEC’s 22 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC Nation, Marty & McGee, Read & React and Rally Cap, daily news and information with The Paul Finebaum Show and SEC Now, original content such as the Emmy Award-winning TrueSouth, SEC Storied and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on SEC Network’s digital companion, SEC Network+, via the ESPN App and SECNetwork.com. Follow SEC Network on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter/X.