Images Link for Previous Michigan Visits
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- College football’s premier pregame returns to Michigan for its 16th time
- Week 2 guest picker: 23-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps will be the guest picker
- Fans arriving early will be treated to a free breakfast from local institution Zingerman’s; plus, exclusive t-shirts, a chance to win prizes and enter to be picked for Pat McAfee’s kicking contest for the opportunity to win $35,000 of Pat’s money
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot returns to Michigan ahead of the Week 2 nonconference matchup between No. 3 Texas and the No. 10-ranked Wolverines. The trip marks the 16th time the premier college football pregame show has originated from Ann Arbor – third most of any school all time. College GameDay will be live from Ferry Field on Michigan’s campus from 9 a.m. – noon ET on ESPN & ESPNU.
Host Rece Davis is at the helm for his 10th season, joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Michigan legend and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. College football insider Pete Thamel, college football betting analyst ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin and reporter Jess Sims round out the GameDay cast this week.
College GameDay’s Week 1 trip to Aggieland was one for the record books – the third-most watched regular season episode of all time. The show averaged 2.5 million viewers – up 47% over 2023’s Week 1 edition and peaked at 3.2 million in the final hour. The show marked the most-watched regular season episode since November 2016 and the most-watched pre-November episode ever.
On Site in Ann Arbor
The first 200 fans at the College GameDay set on Saturday will receive free breakfast from Ann Arbor institution Zingerman’s, while the first 750 fans will be able to get exclusive t-shirts.
Arrive before 9:30 a.m. ET and have a chance to play ‘Pitch A Fit’ for a chance to win one of six prizes including a photo with talent at the GameDay desk or an autographed football.
The show and offerings are free for fans and early arrival is encouraged for these exclusive offers.
For onsite information, please visit College GameDay’s Hub HERE.
Show Highlights & Guests
- Coaches and Players – Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will join the show ahead of the Longhorns’ nonconference matchup, while Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson will talk with the GameDay crew live from his pregame warmups ahead of their game against Tulane. Michigan basketball coach Dusty May also joins during the Week 2 show in Ann Arbor.
- Coach’s Film Room – Saban takes fans inside his film room to break down Sarkisian’s RPO offense and explains why Longhorns quarterback has been able to thrive within the system.
- Guest picker – The 23-time Olympic gold medal swimmer and one of the most decorated Olympians of all time, Michael Phelps, will head to the Big House this weekend as College GameDay’s Week 2 guest picker.
- Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest – Returning for its second season, GameDay will offer an exclusive contest during the live show, Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest. Fans who arrive early will have a chance to be chosen from the ‘pit’ onsite with the opportunity to attempt a 33-yard field goal. If the contestant successfully completes the kick, he/she will be awarded $35,000 from McAfee. Full details, including official rules, can be found here.
Additional guests will be announced ahead of Saturday’s show on ESPN PR’s Twitter and College GameDay’s Twitter.
Features:
- Double Duty – College football has had its fair share of two-way players, but it’s been a long time since someone has dominated both sides of the ball the way Colorado’s Travis Hunter has – playing well over 100 snaps a game, catching touchdowns and locking down receivers. Ryan McGee explores the history of the two-way player and how Hunter is making his own history.
- Longhorn Leader – Before facing Michigan, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers sits with Pete Thamel and talks through his offseason, discusses his relationship with Arch Manning, lays out his perfect season for the Longhorns and explains what it will mean to play against the Wolverines as a former Buckeye.
- New Boss for Big Blue – Desmond Howard visits with new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore to tour the Wolverines new football facility, to get a sense of how Moore is adjusting to his new title and to learn about how the coach’s time playing on the offensive line at Butler Community College and Oklahoma has shaped the coach he has become today.
- Brand Name Battles – When Texas travels to Michigan this weekend it will be the first time that the two storied programs meet in the regular season. McGee explains how college football’s evolution means that these brand-name matchups are something we should all get used to.
Corso’s Count
- Coach Corso will be making his 415th headgear selection this week in Ann Arbor. Historically, he has picked Michigan 15 times and has gone 10-5 in those games.
- Michigan has a lengthy history with College GameDay making its 40th appearance on the show this week – the fifth program to hit the milestone, and 16th time hosting – the third most in the history of the show. The Wolverines are 12-3 when hosting the pregame show – the third-best record of any team (minimum of five times hosting).
- In the 22 appearances Texas has made on GameDay, Corso has picked the Longhorns 14 times and has an 8-6 record in those games.
ESPN’s Expansive Digital Coverage
ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Presented by Dr Pepper, heads to Michigan with hosts Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr., back for their third season together. The trio will host former Wolverine wide receiver Braylon Edwards on Saturday’s edition.
The show is available across ESPN on YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App at 8:20 a.m. ET weekly.
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