NBC has decided on College Bowl. As mentioned by Deadline, the game show hosted by NFL legend Peyton Manning and his brother Cooper Manning is returning for a second season. There will be a new showrunner as Harry Friedman, who spent 25 years as an executive producer for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! will oversee the show. Season 2 of College Bowl will premiere on Friday, Sept. 9.
During the NFL Hall of Fame game last week, a TV ad aired promoting the new season. “Hey, I’ve got a huge announcement,” Peyton Manning said, per Broncos Wire. “I’m returning to the game … of trivia.” In November 2020, it was announced that Peyton Manning was going to host College Bowl and Cooper and their brother Eli Manning would be part of the show as executive producers. The show is a reboot of the game that originally aired on radio stations in 1953 before moving to TV in 1959. The first season of College Bowl aired in June 2021.
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“I’ve always loved intense college competition, so I’m thrilled to be part of the team bringing back ‘College Bowl,’” Peyton Manning said in a statement to Variety in 2020. “Having personally seen the profound impact scholarships can make on deserving students, I can’t wait for the moment when we get to award life-changing scholarships to the winning team.”
“We’re excited to bring this beloved college game show back to primetime with a fresh new spin that is sure to not only entertain but also inspire,” Jenny Groom, executive vice president of unscripted content at NBCUniversal said in a statement. “Peyton’s love for competition, sport, and education makes him the perfect host and partner. It will be so much fun to showcase these college rivalries and, more importantly, the incredibly smart and talented students behind them.”
College Bowl Season 2 will feature 16 teams representing some of the nation’s top schools. The teams will go head-to-head and battle to win a scholarship with the sponsor Capital One awarding $1 million in tuition assistance. The Manning brothers produce College Bowl through Omaha Productions, a company launched by Peyton Manning following his retirement from the NFL. Omaha Productions is also responsible for ESPN’s Emmy Nominated Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli.
