The College Football Playoff National Championship is currently underway, and based on the way Indiana and Miami have played to start the game, we should see an incredible slugfest between two of the best defenses in the country. While everyone is trying to enjoy the best two teams in the sport facing off, ESPN is trying it's hardest to drive everyone crazy.
Based on the broadcast quality to start the National Championship, you would think that this is the first live sporting event that ESPN has ever broadcast. Fans have had to deal with awful audio issues, as everyone watching at home is hearing echoes. The broadcast even had a sudden cut to black that had everyone thinking they were watching the Sopranos finale for the first time.
Fans rip ESPN for awful National Championship broadcast
As everyone has scrambled to check their Wi-Fi, sound systems, TVs, and streaming services, they're feeling relieved to know that they're not alone with this poor broadcast quality. Once everyone realized that they weren't the only ones dealing with the technical difficulties, they quickly rushed to social media to blast ESPN.
ESPN we cannot have this echo right now. Not like it’s the National Championship or anything. My friends at @FOXSports would never
— Robert “Bob” Moses (@BobbyMoses_IV) January 20, 2026
The broadcast echoes are so annoying @espn @NCAAFootball @IUHoosiers @MiamiHurricanes
— Jim Blair (@JimB3rd) January 20, 2026
When you see the laundry list of issues that this broadcast has had in just the 1st quarter, it starts to become ridiculous how awful the quality has been from ESPN.
ESPN technical difficulties are off the chain. Mic delays, hot mic at the anthem, bumpers freeze mid animation. ESPN…y’all ok?
— ParakeetShoez (@ParakeetShoez) January 20, 2026
I dont mean to be a stickler but somethings going on with the production of this game. The paused picture, the quick fade to black, the on air check mic before the national anthem, the on air feedback. #ESPN #CFP
— Kyle In Ohio (@kdn1692) January 20, 2026
The poor quality of the game almost makes it feel like a MAC game in the middle of the week in a tiny press box rather than the quality you'd put on for the National Championship Game.
Espn treating the national championship like an October conference game
— Ryan Anthony (@RyanJAnthony) January 20, 2026
Bro does @espn have the interns in the production truck tonight? Because holy cow the audio issues and weird production quirks are worse for the @CFBPlayoff Championship game than a random 11am kickoff on ESPN+ in September.
— Will (@wereiwas) January 20, 2026
The struggles from ESPN on the broadcast almost make it seem like the network is doing a little too much rather than doing what they're good at. If ESPN is going to have dozens of different broadcasts for this game, the least they could do is make sure that the one everyone is tuning into works, as it is after all the National Championship Game.