Announcement made on the future of key College GameDay fixture

The right decision was made here.

ESPN has been getting a few wins in the contract department the past few weeks with Lee Corso signing an extension as well as mainstay Dick Vitale. It seems they got one more as a College GameDay favorite will be staying on our television screens Saturdays in the fall for the foreseeable future.

RELATED: Lee Corso signs extension with ESPN

Howard has been traveling with the GameDay crew since 2005 after he called NFL games for FOX for one season. Here is a statement from Howard via ESPN's Media Zone:

"I am both excited and reflective as I embark upon my 13th season with ESPN," said Howard. "When I transitioned from playing the game to talking about it for a living, I could not have landed on a better team than College GameDay, where I've been fortunate to learn from and grow with some of the very best in this industry.

Likewise, I consider myself lucky to be able to travel the country throughout the fall and be surrounded by so many die-hard college football fans who gather together to help us create a uniquely electric atmosphere every Saturday morning... Is it August yet?"

He will stick with Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, David Pollack and Lee Corso this year as Samantha Ponder moves on to the NFL to cover for Chris Berman's absence.