John Williams Composes Original Theme for College Football National Championship on ESPN

John Williams has composed an original theme for Monday's College Football National Championship on ESPN, according to Variety.

  • The College Football National Championship game between TCU and Georgia will be accompanied by a brand new theme from legendary composer John Williams.
  • The new theme will be titled “Of Grit and Glory” and it runs three and a half minutes.
  • ESPN co-director and producer Martin Khodabakhshian says the theme will score a series of visuals that will convey “the feeling behind the night, fear and anticipation, triumph and failure.”
  • Variety describes the theme as “a joyful overture, opening with fanfares and shifting seamlessly from martial urgency to anthemic splendor, all richly orchestrated and instantly memorable.”
  • Williams conducted a 96-piece orchestra on the Sony scoring stage last month, with ESPN filming the entire three-hour recording session, some of which viewers will see in the introduction on Monday.
  • A tease of the new theme will air during ESPN’s NFL coverage on Saturday.
  • The College Football National Championship will air at 7:30 PM ET on Monday night on ESPN.

What they’re saying:

  • ESPN co-director and producer Martin Khodabakhshian: “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.”