Ahmed Fareed Named NBC Host for Big Ten Football, Monday Night NBA Coverage

Ahmed Fareed has been named the new host of NBC Sports' Big Ten College Countdown, a primetime college football studio show airing on Saturday nights starting in August. Following the college football season, Fareed will also anchor NBC Sports' Monday night NBA coverage exclusively on Peacock, coinciding with NBC's return as an NBA broadcast partner. Fareed, a veteran broadcaster with experience covering the Olympics, Premier League, MLB, and college sports, gained recent national attention when he stepped in to host the Kentucky Derby broadcast after Mike Tirico's allergic reaction. NBC Sports praised Fareed as an extremely versatile host, and he expressed excitement about his dual roles, emphasizing the sacred nature of college football under the lights and his motivation to shape NBC's NBA coverage. NBC has also announced notable additions to its NBA coverage team, including Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, Grant Hill, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Michael Jordan as a special contributor, with Maria Taylor moving into a larger NBA hosting role. The network will bring back its iconic "Roundball Rock" theme song as it begins its 11-year agreement to present NBA and WNBA games starting with the 2025-26 season.