INDIANAPOLIS — Gary Danielson is back in the Big Ten — this time as a broadcaster.
The former Purdue standout, who was a Boilermakers quarterback from 1969-73, started his football broadcasting career after a short stint in the NFL. He started as an ESPN as an analyst, then moved to ABC before going to CBS in 2005, where is has been a mainstay on SEC broadcasts.
This season, Danielson will return to the conference that launched his career.
“I was a Midwest kid, and my dream was being a Big Ten quarterback and playing in the Rose Bowl,” Danielson said while introducing Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano on Wednesday. “I fulfilled half that dream. I would’ve liked to get Purdue to the Rose Bowl, but that didn’t happen for me. Now, somewhat of a dream come true now in my long broadcasting career. CBS, and our team, we’re so proud to come back and be doing Big Ten football.”
The Big Ten announced a seven-year, $8 billion media deal with CBS, NBC and Fox in 2022, allowing the three networks to broadcast their games starting in 2023 and running through the 2029-30 season. Fox had already been showing Big Ten games, while CBS and NBC are new.
Starting in 2024, each week will feature a Big Ten tripleheader on the three networks: Fox will show a Big Noon Kickoff game, CBS will have the 3:30 p.m. slot, and NBC is introducing Big Ten Saturday night with a 7:30 p.m. game.
“The power of broadcast TV cannot be underestimated,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said at Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday. “Last season, 27 of the 30 most-watched college football telecasts were on broadcast television. This season, the Big Ten will have more games on broadcast TV than any other conference. When the new deal is fully implemented in 2024, we will have 45 broadcast TV games. Big Ten fans will move seamlessly from Fox to CBS to NBC.”
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