A familiar college football broadcaster is entering the final season of his long career.
Gary Danielson, CBS Sports’ lead college football analyst, announced Wednesday that he will retire following the 2025 season.
A staple of CBS’ coverage of the SEC, and now Big Ten, for 20 years, he is the longest tenured college football analyst on any network with 35 seasons on the mic.
Danielson, who worked with broadcasting icon Verne Lundquist for years before he retired, will work his final season alongside Brad Nessler and reporter Jenny Dell.
Danielson was born in Detroit and attended Dearborn Divine Child before playing football at Purdue. As a professional, he spent time in the Canadian Football League, World Football League and with the Lions and Browns in the NFL.
“I have had greatest seat in the house for 36 years and have loved every minute of it,” Danielson said, noting that he stayed on to help CBS transition from the SEC to the Big Ten last season. He added the “timing just feels right” to retire.
“Gary Danielson is simply one of the greatest college football analysts ever. And an even better teammate,” said David Berson, President and CEO, CBS Sports.
“Gary cares more about uplifting others and ensuring the team receives all the accolades. During his 20 years here, he helped propel CBS Sports to the gold standard in college football coverage. We can’t thank him enough; he will always be part of the CBS Sports family and wish him the best in retirement.”
CBS Sports veteran football analyst Charles Davis will succeed Danielson as lead college football analyst beginning with the 2026 season, calling CBS’ weekly marquee Big Ten games.
Davis will continue as an analyst for the NFL ON CBS during the 2025-26 season.
Davis joined CBS Sports as an NFL analyst in 2020. Prior to his work as an NFL analyst at FOX, Davis served as the lead analyst on FOX’s college football coverage.
He was on the call for three consecutive BCS National Championship games between 2007-09, also covering the 2008 Sugar Bowl and 2009 Orange Bowl.
Earlier in his career, Davis worked five seasons as the lead analyst for TBS’ college football game coverage of the Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences.
Davis was a four-year starter for Tennessee between 1983 and 1986.
“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.”
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