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John Williams Scores ESPN College Football National Championship Theme

To bring a sense of greatness to the game, legendary composer John Williams is scoring ESPN's NCAA College Football National Championship.

Published Sun, 08 Jan 2023 19:22:10 -0600

by Tom Chang

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If football truly is the epic game of the modern gladiator, then ESPN has tapped one of the most brilliant minds in cinematic music, Composer John Williams, to score a theme fit for an arena. The three-and-a-half minute theme called "Of Grit and Glory" will make its debut for ESPN's College Football National Championship between TCU and Georgia on Monday, January 9th, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. EPSN co-director and producer Martin Khodabakhshian said the score complements the visuals and "the feeling behind the night, fear and anticipation, triumph and failure."

ESPN College Football Championship Taps John Williams to Score Theme — LOS ANGELES, CA. June 9, 2016: Composer John Williams at the 2016 American Film Institute Life Achievement Award gala honoring John Williams at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood. (Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com) / ESPN Press Room

John Williams' Contribution to ESPN College Football

"Intercollegiate football has been at the heart and soul of our nation's life for so long that the opportunity to musically salute this great tradition has been a particularly meaningful joy for me. I was thrilled and excited when ESPN suggested that I write a theme for the Jan. 9 championship game," Williams said. "The games themselves always raise the collective spirit and, in the end, the competition brings us all closer to a place where the concept of winners and losers dissolves into mutual respect and admiration. The invitation to write this music constitutes a great honor for me, and I feel especially privileged to make a small contribution to one of our country's most treasured traditions."

Williams' had a storied career across film and television, helping to put creative giants like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and their visions to life from Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and Jaws, among several others. He also provided memorable scores for several Olympic Games. "There's no better person on the planet to write about emotions and the things that come with the biggest night on ESPN's biggest stage, our Super Bowl, than John Williams," Khodabakhshian said. Adds Victory Pictures' Michael Sciallis: "We wrote about the emotions of bringing people together, not just the competition side of it, but how audiences are affected." For more, you can check out the Variety report here.

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