Lafayette at Columbia: Lance Medow and CJ Brown on ESPN+ as Lions Host Leopards
Match date:
Lafayette’s trip to Columbia in NCAA Division I FCS football will be streamed on ESPN Unlimited / ESPN+ in the USA, with Lance Medow handling the play-by-play and CJ Brown serving as co-commentator. Columbia’s athletics department confirms the game will air on ESPN+ and lists Medow and Brown on the call, making this a straightforward streaming-only broadcast for viewers in the United States.[9]
The matchup is scheduled for Saturday, 19 September 2026, with Columbia hosting Lafayette at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium in New York.[8][9] ESPN’s game and preview pages also identify the contest as an ESPN+ production, while Columbia’s game centre shows the same venue and date.[1][3][8]
Lance Medow is a familiar voice for college football and New York sports fans, best known for his work across ESPN Radio, digital college sports coverage and play-by-play assignments. His presence on a Columbia broadcast fits ESPN’s practice of using seasoned commentators for stream-only games that still need a polished, television-style presentation.[9] CJ Brown, listed by Columbia as CJ Brown ’24CC, brings the analyst role on this broadcast; Columbia’s announcement indicates he will join Medow in the booth for the season opener.[9]
For viewers in Britain and the United States, the key point is that this game is not on a traditional UK broadcaster such as Sky or ITV; it is an ESPN+ stream in the US, and the ESPN Watch listing gives the 12:00 PM kickoff time in Eastern Time.[6][9] That makes the most practical viewing route a subscription to ESPN’s streaming service, subject to geographic availability.[6][9]
Columbia enters the game as the home team at Wien Stadium, and ESPN’s preview lists the Lions as a slight favourite, which adds some competitive intrigue to the early-season FCS matchup.[3] The ESPN matchup page and several odds boards show Columbia around a -2.5 favourite, suggesting a close contest rather than a mismatch.[2][3][12]
From a broadcaster’s perspective, this is exactly the sort of game where strong commentary matters. Medow’s play-by-play style is suited to telling the game cleanly and keeping pace with rapid college football action, while Brown’s analyst role should add colour and tactical context for a regional audience tuning in via streaming.[9] Columbia’s use of the pairing also reflects how colleges now promote their broadcast teams alongside kickoff details, underlining how important on-air talent has become in the digital era of college sports coverage.[8][9]
For fans looking for a little more context on the competition itself, the NCAA’s football framework and subdivisions are outlined by the governing body here: NCAA Division I FCS.
In short, Lafayette at Columbia is a streaming-only ESPN+ broadcast in the US, with Lance Medow and CJ Brown providing the commentary, and Columbia hoping home advantage can help it edge a tight FCS opener.[6][9][12]
Article generated: 19 September 2026, 17:06 GMT