The 2025-2026 college football season showcases a ton of muscle on the field and an above-average amount of brainpower behind the scenes. Not to pat ourselves on the back too hard.
With the championship semifinals now complete on January 8 and 9, attention turns to the National Championship Game on January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. Together, these games mark the culmination of months of competition, preparation, and nonstop media coverage, as well as a standout season of work from CMSI’s team of talented production nerds.
All season long, ESPN relied on CMSI for on-site and remote media management and postproduction, ensuring fast, reliable access to content as games unfolded across the country. From early rounds through the final push toward the championship, our team worked directly with multiple departments and teams to keep media moving quickly and efficiently under the pressure of live production.
Championship Semifinals Set the Stage
The College Football Playoff semifinals delivered decisive results that set the stage for the championship:
- Thursday, January 8: Miami defeated Ole Miss 31–27 at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale
- Friday, January 9: Indiana defeated Oregon 56–22 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta
These games not only determined who would advance, they also generated an enormous volume of media that needed to be captured, managed, and delivered in real time.
By the Numbers: A Season of Nonstop Media
Across the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, CMSI helped manage a massive volume of content moving at game speed, including 24M+ frames of EVS XT VIA Melt clips and ENG clips delivered across ESPN’s partners and platforms.
That content powered highlight creation, analysis, and storytelling throughout the postseason, ensuring production teams had immediate access to the moments that mattered most.
On-Site, Remote, and Fully Integrated
CMSI’s role extended well beyond simple file movement. Our team was on-site throughout the season, working side by side with production, engineering, and editorial teams to ensure media was available exactly when and where it was needed. At the same time, remote workflows allowed content to move seamlessly between locations, enabling fast turnarounds without slowing down live coverage.
It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes work that viewers never see but that every successful broadcast depends on.
Looking Ahead to the Championship
As the season builds toward its final game in Miami Gardens, CMSI is grateful for the work our team has delivered from kickoff to championship week. Supporting ESPN through a full college football season takes preparation, coordination, and a deep understanding of live production workflows, and our team delivered on all fronts. This is the kind of success that comes from a team proud to be obsessed with the details that keep live production running smoothly.
