- College football’s premier pregame show travels to Penn State for Ducks-Nittany Lions White Out game
- Week 5 Special Guests: Penn State HC James Franklin, PSU NCAA Champion women’s volleyball team and first female drum major join the show live on site; former linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer LaVar Arrington joins as guest picker
- Fans are encouraged to arrive early and wear white as the White Out comes to Old Main Lawn; arrive early for potential prizes and exclusive t-shirt giveaways, as well as the chance to enter Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest for the opportunity to win Pat’s money
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will be live from State College, Pa., for the 11th trip all time and the second straight season. The premier pregame show will originate from Old Main Lawn on campus from 9 a.m. – noon ET (ESPN, ESPNU and Disney+) ahead of the top-10 Big Ten battle between No. 6 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State.
Rece Davis is at the helm for his 11th season, joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. College football insider Pete Thamel, college football betting analyst ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin and reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims round out the GameDay cast for the 2025 college football season.
For the third straight week, College GameDay delivered its second most-watched regular season episode ever pacing up 37% season-to-date from the 2024 season. The Week 4 show from Miami averaged 2.8 million viewers – up 33% from 2024’s Week 4 episode, and 3.4 million final-hour viewers with a peak of 4.4 million.
On-Site in Happy Valley
Fans are encouraged to wear white to the show to bring the ‘White Out’ to Old Main Lawn on Saturday morning. On-site giveaways this week include ‘white out’ towels and the opportunity for fans to customize t-shirts celebrating GameDay’s visit to Happy Valley. This season, The Home Depot brings an additional on-site activation – the Home Depot Hype Hat, where fans can experience an immersive hype room for shareable social content.
Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest – Back for its third season, the fan-favorite Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest will offer an exclusive contest during the live show. 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. McAfee has given out more than $2,000,000 of his own money in prizes and charity donations across his time on the show. Full details, including official rules, can be found here.
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
- Penn State head coach James Franklin will join GameDay live on-site ahead of the Big Ten showdown as the No. 3 Nittany Lions host the No. 6 Oregon Ducks. Ahead of ABC’s noon game, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will join the show for a live interview during the No. 22 Fighting Irish’s pregame warmups in Arkansas. LSU head coach Brian Kelly provides an ‘All-Access’ look into the No. 4 Tigers’ preparations throughout the week in the lead up to their matchup with No. 13 Ole Miss.
- Coach’s Film Room – Nick Saban, the seven-time National Champion head coach, takes fans inside his film room to break down Washington’s high-powered offense and why the Huskies should have top-ranked Ohio State on upset alert.
- Natty Champs – Jess Sims visits with the Penn State women’s volleyball team, the reigning National Champions, who will join the show on Saturday.
- Guest picker – Former Penn State linebacker, College Football Hall of Famer and two-time First Team All-American LaVar Arrington returns to Happy Valley as GameDay’s Week 5 guest picker.
Additional guests will be announced ahead of Saturday’s show on ESPN PR’s Twitter and College GameDay’s Twitter.
Features:
- Love Story– It doesn’t take long for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to distinguish himself on the football field. But even before he started sports, Love knew he was different than his peers. Today, as Jeremiyah is considered one of the top players in the country, his parents, Jason and L’Tyona continue pouring encouragement and confidence into their son – reminding him that his uniqueness is his gift. Jen Lada reports.
- Hidden Gem – Spectacular players come from all over the country. Kenyon Sadiq grew up in Idaho, the Gem State, in the small town of McCammon, population 824. His grandfather was a father figure to Kenyon and inspired him to play football, and as a young boy touchdowns were rewarded with allowances. Soon, Kenyon’s talents outgrew his small-town start. The Oregon junior is considered one of the top tight ends in the country and a legitimate pro prospect. His grandfather passed away unexpectedly last year, and Kenyon now plays every game in his honor. Marty Smith reports.
- White Out– On the red carpet, it’s common to hear, “who are you wearing?” Now they ask it in college football stadiums. Whether a Michigan “Maize Out,” a “Stripe Out” in Wisconsin or a “Tennessee Checkerboard,” the goal is the same – sell out, show out and help the home team get a blowout. Perhaps no display of sartorial splendor makes more of a fashion statement than a night game in Happy Valley for a Penn State “White Out.” Ryan McGee reports.
ESPN’s Expansive Digital Coverage
Back for their fourth season together, Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr., return for ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Presented by Dr Pepper. The trio heads State College for the top 10 game of the week. Countdown kicks off college football Saturdays with fun, fresh insights into the full weekend slate of games.
The show is available across ESPN on YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App at 8:20 a.m. weekly.
All of ESPN. All in One Place.
ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans within the ESPN App. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, the ESPN App provides a unique viewing experience that includes integrated game stats, multiview options, a synchronized two-screen feature, a vertical video feature called Verts and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as ESPN BET information, ESPN Fantasy sports, commerce, and more. These new features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com.
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