ESPN Unlimited's Michael Admire comments the NCAA Division I FCS on 17 October 2026

The NCAA Division I Fairly Competition Series reaches its sixth stage on 17 October 2026, when Michael Admire takes over the play-by-play for the Marist @ Drake matchup. The game is scheduled to begin at 17:00 UK time, and the broadcast will ride on ESPN Unlimited / ESPN+ USA, meaning it is behind the paywall for American viewers and geo-restricted elsewhere. Those watching from outside the United States should expect to be bounced to a different feed.

ESPN's network spans several destinations, from the open ESPN channel to the subscription ESPN+, Fox and CBS on the American side and Sky and ITV across the UK, alongside ESPN's world feed for everyone else. This game will be delivered through the ESPN+ USA window, so it is worth keeping an eye on that particular tab if you want the full play-by-play and call-up experience.

About the commentary team

The main commentator, Michael Admire, signs on Twitter as @Admire_OnAir and has built a reputation for turning on the moment the college football season opens. His own posts have been known to shout about the first game of the year, and he tags along with what looks like a hometown production crew. Behind the scenes, Michael Admire has served as the director of broadcasting at Drake University since 2018, where he is the voice of the operation, which ties him closely to the very college hosting this game.

He is joined by the co-commentator, Jeff Woody, who the 2026-27 ESPN commentator schedule lists as an analyst. Jeff Woody has been working the ESPN+ feed in recent weeks, taking on matchups such as Ball State at Bowling Green, and his name has been circulating in college football circles as someone going big time. Together the pair should cover the Marist @ Drake game smoothly.

For those tracking who is announcing what across the season, the full commentator schedule sits at espnpressroom.com.

Article generated: 17 October 2026, 17:21 GMT