As was rumored earlier this season, HBO officially announced Wednesday it will air a "Hard Knocks" style behind-the-scenes show following four different Power 5 programs through a week of preparation.
The show will actually fall under the umbrella of "24/7," HBO's other behind-the-scenes show that, until now, focused on sports other than football. "24/7 College Football" will air on Wednesdays in October:
Oct. 2: Florida (chronicling Florida vs. Towson on Sept. 28)
Oct. 9: Penn State (Purdue on Oct. 5)
Oct. 16: Arizona State (vs. Washington State on Oct. 12)
Oct. 23: Washington State (vs. Colorado on Oct. 19)
“For many years, we have been enamored with the storylines and unrivaled traditions of college football, and we’re excited for the opportunity to expand the 24/7 franchise into the realm of college sports,” HBO Sports executive producer Rick Bernstein said. “Viewers will feel the tremendous electricity of some of the best atmospheres in the country, and see the meticulous preparation and challenges facing these programs in the build-up to gameday and during the game action. We are excited for the challenge of delivering a four-part series of four different college programs over a four-week period with the production values and storytelling associated with our 24/7 franchise.”
The show will be narrated by Liev Schreiber, who narrates all of HBO Sports's documentary-style shows, and produced by Bo Mattingly, formerly of the Sports Talk with Bo sports talk radio show in Arkansas.
While a behind-the-scenes college football show is new to HBO, it's far from new to college football. Showtime aired a similar series for years, and Amazon did a Michigan season of its typically-NFL-focused show All or Nothing, and this doesn't count the sanitized version that air on respective conference networks and in local markets across the country.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.