League: NCAAF Sport: College Sports Country: United States Category: Rumors

Kris Budden and Madison Hock join ESPN for college football coverage

2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 5, 2026, 4:09 PM

Last updated Aug 5, 2026

Kris Budden and Madison Hock join ESPN for college football coverage

Summary

Kris Budden and Madison Hock, former broadcasters at WBIR in Knoxville, are now part of ESPN's college football commentator teams for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Budden, who has been with ESPN since 2016, previously reported on significant events in sports, including the 2012 Olympics. Hock, new to ESPN, will serve as a reporter for the ACC network after covering local sports stories at WBIR. Their inclusion is part of ESPN's expansion of its commentator lineup ahead of the college football season that begins in under a month.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•Kris Budden worked at WBIR from 2008 to 2014 before joining ESPN.
•Madison Hock joined WBIR between 2020 and 2022 and is new to ESPN this season.
•Both are featured in ESPN's commentator teams for the 2026-27 college football season.
•Budden will partner with Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer.
•Hock will join Roxy Bernstein and Dave Clawson as teammates.

Latest Updates

4:09 PMYahoo Sports — Former WBIR broadcasters Kris Budden, Madison Hock join ESPN college football coverage

What they're saying

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Former WBIR broadcasters Kris Budden and Madison Hock now work on ESPN's college football coverage after launching their careers at Knoxville's Channel 10.
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

NCAAF College Sports