TCU is making its College Football Playoff National Championship debut on Monday night, and so is John Williams.
Yes, legendary composer John Williams. The 90-year-old has composed a new theme song for ESPN's title game coverage.
"Of Grit and Glory," which is three minutes and 30 seconds in full, will be played along with a video package during Monday night's battle between Georgia and TCU from Los Angeles.
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ESPN producer Martin Khodabakhshian told Variety that the song is intended to reflect "the feeling behind the night, fear and anticipation, triumph and failure.”
How did ESPN land the services of Williams, who composed songs for iconic films including Jaws, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, and the Star Wars saga? Khodabakhshian helped write a letter to him three months ago, and Williams was happy to work up a new song.
Williams told Variety, “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 has done some work for sporting events in the past. He wrote songs for four different Olympics and composed NBC's "Sunday Night Football" theme in 2006.
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"Of Grit and Glory" appears to be a long-term addition to ESPN's coverage of the national title game.
With the College Football Playoff coming off its most entertaining slate of semifinal games yet and the field expanding to 12 games in 2024, the national championship figures to become even more of a spectacle going forward. That spectacle, in ESPN's eyes, deserves its own music.
