"The man should still be calling NASCAR races": Motorsports world reacts to Rick Allen’s move to college football

Rick Allen, a longtime NASCAR play-by-play announcer, has added another role to his post-NBC career. He will now be heard on college football broadcasts for The CW, stepping in as lead commentator for select games this season.

The first of these games is Idaho vs. Washington State this weekend, followed by Baylor vs. SMU in early September. The move, first reported by Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern, sparked immediate fan reaction across both motorsports and football circles. Stern wrote on X:

"@TheCW has hired @RickAllenRacing to fill in as the lead play-by-play commentator for some college football games this upcoming season, including Idaho-Washington State this weekend and the early September game between Baylor and SMU."

Most NASCAR fans agreed on one thing: Rick Allen still belongs in stock-car racing.

"The man should still be calling NASCAR races, the Truck Series could really use him," said one fan.

Other fans echoed similar calls for Xfinity and Truck Series races:

Luke

@xLukeSmithx

WWWW, but he should be the NASCAR on Fox broadcaster full-time for trucks.

J

@TheMeltedMonkey

Let’s get him back on Xfinity broadcast

James Minor

@jamesminor88

If he with CW, then he could be back for double A for the Xfinity races

Many brought up his abrupt exit from NBC last year, which remains a sore point for fans.

Quietly Making Noise

@QuietlyMknNoise

Congrats to Rick Allen. The man was done wrong by NBC. That was a huge load of Next Gen Car BS.

Some supporters embraced his football debut and were excited for him:

Brent Stephens

@Brentonimo

Loved hearing him call races, excited to hear him call some football!

While the general sentiment was congratulatory, the majority of motorsports fans made it clear that they would rather see him calling NASCAR races again than move to covering college football.

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Rick Allen's path from NASCAR to the NFL and College Football

Rick Allen speaks during the 2022 NASCAR Championship 4 Media Day. Source: Getty

Rick Allen first took over as NBC's Cup Series lead announcer in 2015, becoming the voice of the second half of the NASCAR season for nearly a decade. His style, familiar from years in the Truck Series booth before NBC, made him a staple of the sport’s broadcasts. That run ended abruptly in 2024, when NBC transitioned him out midway through the season in favor of Leigh Diffey.

Allen, however, quickly found new outlets. Earlier this year, he was hired by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers as the entertainment public address announcer for home games, working alongside the team’s broadcast crew. Now, his addition to The CW's college football package ensures he will have a busy schedule in 2025.

The move also keeps him tied to NASCAR's broadcast ecosystem. With The CW serving as the new home of the Xfinity Series, Allen's college football duties may again overlap with potential opportunities in motorsports. Fans hoping to hear his voice back on race calls have reason to remain optimistic, if not in the Cup Series, then perhaps in the series where he first made his mark.