NFL Has Faith

Sunday Night Football just got a little bit country.

Faith Hill has been recruited by the NFL to sing the opening theme to the series this season, taking over the crooning duties from last year's songster, Pink.

As per tradition, Hill's rendition of "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," an ode to the weekly football game sung to the tune of Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You," will air prior to each season game. Hill has already recorded the tune, along with several team-specific variations, to be played before the match-ups.

"It's exciting to have been asked to sing the open for this season's Sunday Night games," the five-time Grammy winner said. "Maybe now I'll be able to get my jersey size and some better seats for the games?"

Hill recorded the songs in New York earlier this year and shot an accompanying video for the tune in Los Angeles.

"I'm honored to have been asked," Hill told the Associated Press. "I truly am a football fan. Particularly, men find it hard to believe that women can be big fans of football, but I love it. I loved it in junior high and high school. But being married to a man who schedules his life around football games, it makes it a lot easier."

Not least of all because Hill's hubby, Tim McGraw, has already paved the way in football theme songs. Several years ago, he recorded a NFL-skewed version of his hit "I Like It, I Love It," which accompanied the halftime reel on Monday Night Football.

Hill will sing a special version of the song Sept. 6 in NFL Opening Kickoff, when the Super Bowl champs, the Indiana Colts, host the New Orleans Saints. She'll perform in a special pregame show, along with Kelly Clarkson and John Mellencamp.

In the meantime, Hill is scheduled to appear on the New York-set season premiere of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, on which she'll debut her new single, "Red Umbrella." The episode airs Sept. 5.