There's more of Erin Andrews to eat up: She's sadly expanding, and they've buried the lead

In announcing that their popular "College GameDay" will expand to three hours this fall (the first hour starting on ESPNU), the World Wide Leaders in Press Releases also note that Erin Andrews' new contract calls for her to increase in stature as well.

We skip to paragraph three, sentence two:

"Also, Erin Andrews will join the College GameDay lineup, anchoring several segments during the first hour on ESPNU, and contributing reports, interviews and features during the ESPN portion of the show.

"As part of her role, Andrews will also work as the sideline reporter on the game from which College GameDay originates from, if the game is on an ESPN network (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc.). In addition to her responsibilities across ESPN platforms, Andrews will provide select reports on ABC's Good Morning America throughout the year.

"Millions of fans can start their college football Saturdays an hour earlier and the ever-expanding ESPNU offers the perfect home for more award-winning College GameDay," said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production. "As part of the new lineup, we're thrilled to announce an enhanced role for Erin Andrews that includes GameDay, while some of our most prominent college football personalities will have new and expanded responsibilities."

USA Today had the big scoop on all this in today's issue (linked here). Dang it.

It included this:

"The biggest reason I wanted to stay was because they'd expand my role," Andrews said Sunday in her first interview about her new contract. "It's time for me to try new things. ... The hosting stuff is what I'm really looking forward to."

First interview? Who was the sideline reporter interviewing her?

On her "Good Morning America" gig pieces: "Some will be fun and light-hearted," she says. "I don't take myself too seriously and like to have a good time." But having been a victim of stalking, which resulted in a videotape surfacing online a year ago, she also wants to report on crimes against women: "With what I've been through, I want to talk to women who are victims. ... And people haven't seen I can have a serious tone. We feel it's important to start off with serious issues so people take me seriously."

Andrews, who says she got "lots of offers to work in entertainment" before re-signing, might be best known to many GMA viewers for her recent run on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. "I got on (Dancing) thanks to ESPN. And then I got exposed to a completely different demographic."

EA will be at the ESPN "Home Run Derby" coverage tonight. Because it's very important.

That's it?

In more pressing matters:

Yes, GameDay will start at 6 a.m. PDT now (maybe they don't expect any trips to USC this fall), and end at 9 a.m. starting Sept. 4. The first site hasn't been figured out. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard will be asked to do extra work as well.

More changes that make a bigger impact:

== Rece Davis, still anchoring ESPN's daylong Saturday studio coverage with Lou Holtz and Mark May, will do play-by-play on Thursday night games (instead of Fowler) with Craig James and Jesse Palmer. Jenn Brown will be that sideline reporter (instead of Andrews).

== Fowler will host ESPN's midday "College Football Live" on Mondays and Tuesdays during the season, because days off are optional now. John Saunders, who does the Saturday pregame, halftime and postgame stuff on ABC with Palmer, will do "College Football Live" on Thursday.