Joe Tessitore becomes WWE commentator and works with Corey Graves and Wade Barrett

Another prominent college football voice joins the WWE.

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore has signed a deal with the wrestling company, WWE announced Tuesday. The New York Post first reported the news.

Tessitore will begin his role this summer, but an official date has not been announced. He will serve as commentator alongside Corey Graves and Wade Barrett, which will likely bring him to Friday Night SmackDown. Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will remain a couple and will likely continue their work on Monday Night Raw.

“Whether it’s a world championship match that has the world on edge or a college football rivalry that has the nation’s attention, Joe’s voice brings the feeling of a major event every time he steps behind the microphone,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in a statement. “We’re excited to have Joe join legendary WWE commentator Michael Cole and our esteemed commentary team, bringing his signature energy and meticulous preparation to our WWE broadcasts each week.”

Tessitore has become one of the most recognizable voices in college football, as he brings excitement to every game he works with his exciting and explosive commentary. One of the live commentator’s most famous comments came in 2016, when he proclaimed, “Texas is back, folks,” after Texas’ overtime win over Notre Dame. For most of his time at ESPN, he was also a boxing commentator, serving as the top voice of Top Rank Boxing. From 2018 to 2019, he was the live voice of “Monday Night Football.”

Tessitore’s experience as a boxing commentator should serve him well as he makes the transition to WWE. The 53-year-old commentator was part of ESPN’s coverage of WrestleMania 40 in April and became familiar with the product.

“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. Their recent success and evolution is undeniable,” Tessitore said in a statement. “You could feel it at WrestleMania XL – from Cody (Rhodes), Seth (Rollins), Roman (Reigns) and The Rock to the creative and production departments, these are some of the best storytellers on television. Corey and Wade are absolute stars and I’m honored to join their team. Pat and Cole are simply magical together and Cole is the greatest to ever sit in that chair. As a lifelong viewer, I’m honored to join this team and serve our fans.”

With Tessitore, WWE will now have two ESPN employees on its commentary team alongside McAfee. The former NFL punter turned sports media giant has wrestled a few matches in WWE, but has primarily served as an analyst on Monday Night Raw.

Tessitore will remain with ESPN during his time with WWE.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Tessitore joins WWE as live commentator, stays with ESPN