Mike Golic’s 22-year run on ESPN Radio ended in July. But with his contract running until the end of this year, he decided to stay on and call college football for ESPN and ABC through the 2020 season.
(At the time, working college football broadcasts wasn’t a certain proposition as schools and conferences weren’t sure if games could be safely played amid the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Whether or not Golic remains with ESPN as a college football analyst, or in another role, remains to be seen. In the meantime, however, the longtime radio and TV personality (and former NFL lineman) has lined up a new gig. As reported by Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, Golic will host a college sports trivia show called The Fan Exam for Learfield IMG College and its Sidearm Sports network.
The Fan Exam will premiere Tuesday, Nov. 10 and run through Dec. 17 with episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can access the game at TheFanExam.com or through the official athletics websites and apps of schools partnered with Learfield IMG College (such as Alabama, Michigan, North Carolina, Miami [Florida], and many others).
“This sounds like fun,” Golic told McCarthy. “I’ve enjoyed calling the college [football] games. This opportunity came up and it reminded me of the ‘HQ Trivia’ game that was out for a while that I played all the time. So this will be a lot of fun.”
During each competition, fans can answer 12 college sports trivia questions for prizes each week in a non-elimination format and at the end of The Fan Exam’s six-week run.
According to McCarthy, Learfield doesn’t view this as a one-time venture. If the initial run of The Fan Exam is successful, the network hopes to have a new edition of the show each fall and spring.
Golic’s years on radio and television — along with his outgoing, humorous personality — appear to make him an ideal fit to host a game show. Frankly, it’s surprising he hasn’t done it before. Michael Strahan can’t get all of those gigs, right? Maybe ESPN could create a similar program around Golic during down times on the sports calendar.
UPDATE: Some readers have pointed out that Golic has some game show experience on ESPN’s 2-Minute Drill, which aired from Sept. 2000 to Dec. 2001. Kenny Mayne was the host, but Golic was among a number of ESPN personalities who rotated as panelists on the show.
Again, The Fan Exam premieres on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at TheFanExam.com or on Learfield IMG College-affiliated sites and apps.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.