Nashville, TN - Growing up outside Knoxville, Kenny Chesney was raised a University of Tennessee Vols fan - and was indoctrinated with a passion for college football that has endured throughout his adult life. That reverence inspired the ESPN powers that be to enlist Chesney as a guest last fall for the Nashville edition of "College Game Day," which was broadcast from Vanderbilt before the Vanderbilt-Auburn game.

From a conversation at dinner the night before, the suggestion was made that Chesney write a song capturing his love of the game - and with cocktail napkin fodder, "This Is Our Moment" began taking shape. Less than a year later, the 4-time and current Country Music Association and 4-consecutive Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year sees his song about the glory, the guts, the work and especially the heart that goes into making it to the field debuts across the ESPN properties, including their ABC network live college telecasts as part of their Football Kickoff Weekend of Sept. 3.

"It was one of those moments of spontaneous inspiration," says Chesney. " We were talking about how much goes into getting on that field, what it means to those guys out there... and Bill Bonnell turns to me and says, 'You oughta write a song about it...' I mean, there we were at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with (legendary play-by-play announcer) Brett Musburger, (renowned college football analyst) Kirk Herbstreit and the head producer of "ESPN Saturday Night Football on ABC" (Bonnell) - and the next morning I'm gonna do "College Game Day' - and it just hit me!

"I asked for a cocktail napkin, and started writing the verses and the chorus."

A few months later, Chesney was in Connecticut, rehearsing for the opening of the Sun City Carnival Tour - and stopped by ESPN's offices with a copy of the finished song. From that moment forward, "This Is Our Moment" was earmarked for the networks' opening weekend, select bowl games and the National Championship - as well as select games throughout the season.

"He's so low key," says Bonnell. "He literally just came by and asked if I wanted to hear the song. And then... the song! It really captures not just the sacrifice and the full-tilt way these athletes play, but it draws a pretty incredible parallel to what it takes to make it as a musician, too. They're more similar than you'd guess - and equally intense."

The song - a driving Chesney original that hits hard and flies low - boasts a chorus of "This is our moment, this is our time/ We ain't holding back, we laying it all on the line/ This is our destiny, our night to shine/ This is our moment, this is our time..."

With "I'm Alive," Chesney's duet with Dave Mathews from his Greatest Hits II, following the #1 "Out Last Night" up the charts, there's all kinds of new music from the man who's the only act playing 13 North American NFL/MLB stadiums across North America this summer. But to hear, "This Is Our Moment," you'll have to tune in. Complete broadcast details attached.


"This Is Our Moment" by Kenny Chesney
ESPN & ABC's College Football Kickoff Weekend
The song debuts on ESPN @ 7pm on September 3rd -- with 36 games
Key games denoted in BOLD

September 3rd @ 7pm on ESPN South Carolina @ NC State
September 3rd @ 7:30pm on ESPNU North Texas @ Ball State
September 3rd @ 10:15pm on ESPN Oregon @ Boise State
September 4th @ 8pm on ESPN Tulsa @ Tulane
September 5th @ 12noon on ESPN Ohio State @ Navy
September 5th @ 12noon on ESPN2 Minnesota @ Syracuse
September 5th @ 12noon on ESPNU Kentucky @ Miami (Ohio)
September 5th @ 12noon on ESPN360 Western Kentucky @ Tennessee
September 5th @ 12noon on ESPN360 Liberty @ West Virginia
September 5th @ 1pm on ESPN360 Jacksonville State @ Georgia Tech
September 5th @ 2pm on ESPN360 Northeastern @ Boston College
September 5th @ 3:30pm on ABC Baylor @ Wake Forest
September 5th @ 3:30pm on ABC/ESPN2 Western Michigan @ Michigan
September 5th @ 3:30pm on ABC/ESPN2 Georgia @ Oklahoma State
September 5th @ 3:30pm on ESPN Missouri @ Illinois
September 5th @ 3:30pm on ESPNU Jackson State @ Mississippi State
September 5th @ 6pm on ESPN360 Middle Tennessee @ Clemson
September 5th @ 6pm on ESPN360 The Citadel @ North Carolina
September 5th @ 6pm on EPSN360 William & Mary @ Virginia
September 5th @ 7pm on ESPN BYU vs. Oklahoma from Arlington, Texas
September 5th @ 7pm on ESPNU Louisiana Tech @ Auburn
September 5th @ 7pm on ESPN360 Charleston Southern @ Florida
September 5th @ 7pm on EPSN350 Connecticut @ Ohio
September 5th @ 7pm on ESPN360 Missouri State @ Arkansas
September 5th @ 7pm on ESPN360 Wolford @ South Florida
September 5th @ 7:30pm on ESPN360 Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt
September 5th @ 7:30pm on ESPN360 Indiana State @ Louisville
September 5th @ 8pm on ESPN360 Idaho @ New Mexico State
September 5th @ 8pm on ABC Alabama vs. Virginia Tech from Atlanta, GA
September 5th @ 10pm on ESPN2 Maryland @ California
September 5th @ 10:30pm on ESPN LSU @ Washington
September 5th @ 10:30pm on ESPNU Prairie View A&M @ Texas Southern
September 6th @ 2pm on ESPN2 Grambling State @ South Carolina State
September 6th @ 3:30pm on ESPN Mississippi @ Memphis
September 7th @ 4pm on ESPN Cincinnati @ Rutgers
September 7th @ 8pm on ESPN Miami (FL) @ Florida State

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