‘Yikes’: ESPN Chooses Controversial Artist’s Song as 2024 CFB Anthem

The song ESPN chooses to associate with college football for any given season can affect the way that season is viewed for years to come.

This season ESPN made a controversial decision by choosing country/rap artist Jelly Roll’s song “Get By” as the anthem for the 2024 college football season.

Jelly Roll has a controversial past

Jelly Roll’s past of hard drug use and time in and out of prison is what inspired him to become the artist he is today. Jelly Roll first went to prison when he was a 14-year-old high school student.

The country/rap star was in and out of prison so often he was behind bars at the time his first-born child was born, as he described in an article from ETOnline.

“A guard knocks on my cell door midafternoon during lockdown,” Jelly recalled in an interview with Billboard last year. “He goes, ‘You had a kid today.’ I’ve never had nothing in life that urged me in the moment to know that I had to do something different. I have to figure this out right now.”

The Tennessee native now says he relies on cannabis to keep him away from the hard drug use of his past. He explained in an article from AmericanSongwriter that he would be partaking in a litany of hard drugs without the use of cannabis.

“I think in a world without weed, Jelly Roll’s drinking c*deine and popping X*nax and snorting c*caine again. But a world with weed, I’ll be alright,” the “Halfway to Hell” singer explained. “I know that I have friends that don’t do that. I have friends that are in the program that are totally against any mind-altering anything, I respect that,” he said. He added, “I have so much respect for those people. That’s just not how my sobriety worked out.”

While a spotty past involving jail time and drug use could be the reason some don’t agree with ESPN’s choice to feature his music, it’s his music that has many fans upset with ESPN’s choice to feature him as the defining artist for the 2024 college football season.

Many fans don’t think ESPN made the right choice with “Get By”

Regardless of Jelly Roll’s past, many fans don’t think the song selected by ESPN fits, or they simply don’t like the music in any capacity.

Some fans even expressed their admiration of Jelly Roll and his story of overcoming a troubled past while still arguing that the song selected by ESPN is a huge miss. Many fans of Jelly Roll think other songs from the country/rap star should’ve been featured.

Jelly Roll has came so far, it’s wild. But this song ain’t it.

— RickyBooby (@RickyBoobyAU) August 8, 2024

Yikes

— Gridiron Gage (@gridirongage) August 8, 2024

Really doesn’t scream “College Football” to me. But maybe I’ll warm up to it.

— Auburn Blazer (@AuburnBlazer) August 8, 2024

This is horrible. American Nights was the answer and you blew it

— TheGerman-AmericanGK🇺🇸🇩🇪 (@TheAmericanGK) August 8, 2024

huge miss

— m1key (@DrizzyGotNext) August 8, 2024

Rare swing and a miss

— Jim Candle (@JimCandle2) August 8, 2024

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