Days before season 24 of “American Idol” premieres, season 23 winner Jamal Roberts will kick off the year by performing for the biggest audience of his life. On January 11, 2026, organizers of the College Football Playoffs announced that Roberts will sing the National Anthem before the championship game on January 19.

Although the 2025 “Idol” finale drew nearly seven million viewers last May and a record-breaking 26 million votes for Roberts, per ABC, viewership for the matchup between the NCAA’s top two football teams is expected to be far greater. The championship game in 2025 was watched by over 22 million people, per ESPN.

Jamal Roberts Will Perform Live on ESPN Broadcast

Roberts, a soul singer and dad of three from Meridian, Mississippi, will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” before kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. According to press materials, he’ll perform an arrangement by award-winning musician and composer Adam Blackstone.

In addition to the presentation of the Nation’s Colors by a Joint Armed Forces Color Guard, a giant American flag will be unfurled by local volunteers. There will also be video feeds of U.S. troops watching the game from their stations overseas, including Romania and in the Middle East.

Roberts’ longtime manager, Carlton Cofield, celebrated the news with his own post, writing, “Long day!! But I’m grateful to finally Announce something I been working on…JAMAL takes center stage to deliver The Star Spangled Banner for the The College Football Playoffs National Championship 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#ESPN”

Fans and friends cheered the news on a social media post announcing Roberts’ latest gig, including the “American Idol” team, which commented, “We have liftoff 🎤🚀🏈🔥🔥🔥”

Among the fans who flooded the post with excitement, one wrote, “Can’t wait to watch it on TV! I knew from day one he would be the winner on American Idol when I heard him the first time. I cheered him all along!!”

Another commented, “I’m looking forward to this. I’ve been waiting to hear @officialjamalroberts sing the National Anthem. He’s an amazing singer. 🫶🏽”

Jamal Roberts Has Had an Epic 8 Months Since Winning ‘American Idol’

Roberts hit the ground running after winning “American Idol” in May 2025 with legions of fans eager to see and hear more from him. Shortly after, he performed at the BET Awards with gospel artist Kirk Franklin. In the fall, he headed out on tour with R&B icons Monica and Brandy.

And in November, Roberts was nominated for his first Grammy Award with Jonathan McReynolds. They’re up for Best Gospel Performance/Song category for their live rendition of “Still.”

To catch Roberts singing the National Anthem, pregame festivities are scheduled to start on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. The game is scheduled to start 20 minutes later, with Indiana facing off against Miami.

Meanwhile, the new season of ABC’s “American Idol” kicks off on January 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.