Photos via ESPN Images
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will travel to Cincinnati for the first time this weekend, Saturday, Nov. 6 (9 a.m. – noon ET). The premier three-hour traveling pregame show will air on ESPN and ESPNU, highlighting key storylines and offering news, analysis and predictions as the Bearcats – No. 6 in the first College Football Playoff Rankings – host Tulsa in an American Athletic Conference matchup. GameDay will originate from The Commons on the UC campus, capturing the pregame atmosphere of the Golden Hurricane-Bearcats game.
Rece Davis hosts the 12-time Emmy Award-winning show with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit – a native of Centerville, Ohio, Desmond Howard and David Pollack – a former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick, research producer and sports betting analyst Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica, and reporters Jen Lada and Gene Wojciechowski.
Cincinnati is the 78th different school and the 94th different city to host GameDay during the show’s 35 seasons. In addition, this is the fourth time that GameDay is originating from the home site of an American Athletic Conference program, having travelled to Memphis (2019), UCF (2018) and Temple (2015) in recent seasons.
College GameDay precedes a full slate of games across ESPN networks on Saturday, highlighted by primetime SEC and Pac-12 rivalry games, respectively, on ESPN and ABC. Chris Fowler, Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will call LSU at No. 2 Alabama (7 p.m., ESPN), while Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich will have No. 4 Oregon at Washington at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. Anish Shroff, Mike Golic Jr. and Taylor McGregor will call the No. 6 Bearcats game (3:30 p.m., ESPN2). In all, 15 ranked teams will be in action across ESPN networks.
College GameDay Highlights:
- All-Access Cincinnati: An exclusive all-access look inside the Bearcats program and their preparations on and off the field in what has proven to be an eventful week. From Coach Luke Fickell handing out donuts at dawn to lineman feasting on Skyline Chili, to uniform reveals, video game battles, and plenty of playoff ranking reaction. Cincinnati is hungry to prove they belong.
- The Portal Path: Kenneth Walker III was a second-string running back for the smallest football program in the Power 5. Then, he entered the transfer portal, took a leap of faith from Wake Forest to massive Michigan State, and in just eight games has become a Spartan legend. Reporter: Gene Wojciechowski.
- College Football Playoff Rankings: The GameDay crew breaks down the first week of College Football Playoff Rankings and discusses Cincinnati’s CFP case with the undefeated Bearcats ranked No. 6.
- On-Set Guest: Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell – an Ohio State Buckeyes teammate of Kirk Herbstreit in college – will join the show to discuss the Bearcats’ season, Saturday’s matchup against Tulsa, and more.
- Live with Nick Saban: Alabama head coach Nick Saban will be a live guest before the No. 2 Crimson Tide host rival LSU on Saturday night on ESPN.
- Pregame Field Pass: GameDay will offer a live pregame look at some of college football’s top quarterback prospects who are playing noon games across ESPN networks – Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) on ACC Network; Matt Corral (Ole Miss) and Malik Willis (Liberty) on SEC Network; and Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) and Sam Howell (UNC) on ABC.
Stats from ‘The Bear’/Corso Facts:
- Regardless of which team Coach Corso selects, it will be the 64th different headgear he has worn in the picks segment at the end of GameDay.
- 78 different schools and 94 different cities have now hosted GameDay.
- Underdogs have won each of the last two weeks at the GameDay site and in six of the 10 games from which GameDay has originated.
- This is the fourth time GameDay has originated from the home site of an American Athletic Conference team, following 2019 (SMU at Memphis), 2018 (Cincinnati at UCF) and 2015 (Notre Dame at Temple).
- Saturday is the 11th anniversary of the second-largest home loss by a GameDay host school. In 2010, TCU beat Utah 47-7.
- This is GameDay’s 413th road show and headgear pick No. 376.
ESPN Social and Digital
Countdown to GameDay Live is College GameDay’s pregame show, before the pregame show. Each week, host Christine Williamson and Harry Douglas will usher fans into the show and the Saturday college football lineup throughout the season at 8:30 a.m. Countdown to GameDay is available on Saturday across Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and the ESPN App.
Additionally, College GameDay: All Access on Snapchat debuted this season, with Williamson taking fans behind the scenes of the legendary pregame show College GameDay. From interviews with players and coaches to experiencing local traditions to the best GameDay signs, she will give fans everyone a look at why Saturdays are so special – even before the games start.
Fans call follow and engage in all the action each and every Saturday across College GameDay’s social platforms (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok).
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