Dave Neal and Cole Cubelic commentate the NCAA Division I FBS South Alabama vs Arkansas State

Two-time Emmy Award winner Dave Neal takes the play-by-play booth for the South Alabama versus Arkansas State game in the NCAA Division I Flying Bricks Series, kicking off at 00:30 UK time on 9 October 2026. He is joined in the booth by Cole Cubelic, marking a notable pairing for this season's broadcasts across ESPN's college football platforms.

The match is served through ESPN Unlimited, running on the ESPN2 USA feed. ESPN has been central to these games for years, and its play-by-play talent carries the reputation that comes with it.

The play-by-play

Dave Neal is one of the longest-tenured play-by-play voices on the SEC circuit. He began calling SEC games in the 1990s for Jefferson Pilot Sports, later Lincoln Financial Sports, before joining ESPN in 2009. He was part of the inaugural roster of SEC Network commentators when that launch took place in 2014, and he currently calls college football, basketball and baseball games across ESPN platforms.

His work spans the FCS National Championships, numerous post-season bowl games, NIT tournaments and CWS regional and super regions. As a two-time Emmy winner, he brings an established pedigree to the booth this season.

The analyst

Cole Cubelic now works in the broadcast booth alongside Dave Neal, partnering with the sideline reporter Tori Petry. Previously, the Homewood native and former Auburn centre operated as a sideline reporter and analyst on a team that included Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers.

He has appeared as an analyst on SEC Network and ESPN3 telecasts, served as a weekly guest on The Paul Finebaum Show, and joined SEC Saturday Night in fall 2017 as a field analyst. He also contributes to ESPN's UFL coverage as a field analyst.

For background on the ESPN college football talent behind this game, see the ESPN Press Room profile for Dave Neal.

Article generated: 9 October 2026, 00:31 GMT