Former Smackdown Women’s champion Sasha Banks appeared in the opening video which kicked off last night’s 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game on ESPN.
The cold opening featured Banks as a “futuristic superhero” who lights up the start of the game from a piece of confetti which was used in last year’s game.
“It’s been such an honor, I feel like everybody who has been working on the set, and the whole team have been so incredible,” Banks said in a statement to Variety. “To walk in and to just feel so welcome, and just to see everything, and I was just like, it was amazing. I love the outfit, I love the concept, and it just fit me so well.”
According to Variety, ESPN’s Creative Content Unit produced the segment, led by vice president Craig Lazarus, senior coordinating producer Julie McGlone, senior managing producer Aimee Stokes and co-director/producer Martin Khodabakhshian and co-director/editor Michael Sciallis.
This is the second time in four months that ESPN used a WWE personality to kick off one of their broadcasts. Last October, then WWE champion Big E recorded the introduction for Fury vs Wilder.
