New SEC on ABC Theme Song Feels Incomplete

For two decades, the SEC’s marquee game each week took place on CBS. At 3:30 p.m. ET, fans were greeted to the biggest matchup of the week by the iconic SEC on CBS theme song.

With the SEC moving completely to ESPN and ABC as its broadcast home in 2024, and CBS taking on Big Ten rights in place of the SEC, the league needed a new theme. The challenge lies in creating something new that fans will enjoy, which is always difficult, especially in the social media world where the first instinct is often to criticize anything new—whether it’s uniforms, theme songs, logos, or mascots. This is particularly true when it’s something iconic that fans associate with the product. So, ABC had an uphill battle from the start in creating a new SEC theme.

They attempted to tap into some nostalgia by drawing inspiration from their early 2000s college football theme, but spinning it into something new for the SEC on ABC. However, the theme seems to be lacking a certain punch. It doesn’t quite deliver the impact one would expect from a football theme. My first thought was it sounds like the music that plays after you beat Mario Tennis.

Over time, we might all get used to it, but it could use a little more energy to become a theme people can really latch onto. That said, the video also debuts their graphics package, and I do think the new scorebug looks good. The visuals they plan to use in broadcasts seem promising.