- College football’s premier pregame show travels to Alabama ahead of the 3:30 p.m. ET ABC game
- Week 5 Special Guests: Crimson Tide HC Kalen DeBoer, Alabama royalty Ms. Terry join the show live on site; North Carolina HC Bill Belichick joins from pregame warmups at North Carolina
- Fans are encouraged to arrive early for prizes and giveaways during every break, as well as the chance to enter Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will be live from Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the 21st trip all time. The premier pregame show will originate from Denny Chimes on campus from 9 a.m. – noon ET (ESPN, ESPNU and Disney+) ahead of the top 25 SEC showdown between undefeated No. 16 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Alabama.
Host and Alabama alum Rece Davis is at the helm for his 11th season, joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and legendary Alabama head coach 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.
College GameDay continues its strong start to the season ever pacing up 29% season-to-date from the 2024 season, with the largest viewership gains amongst women (up 42%) and P18-24 (up 59%) demographics. The Week 5 show from Penn State averaged 2.3 million viewers and 2.9 million final-hour viewers with a peak of 3.4 million.
On-Site in Tuscaloosa
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for chances to win prizes during every show break this week. 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 competition 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 suggested for these exclusive offers. For onsite information, please visit College GameDay’s Hub HERE.
Show Highlights & Guests
- Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will join GameDay live on-site ahead of the SEC showdown as the No. 10 Crimson Tide host the No. 16 undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores. Ahead of ESPN’s noon game, North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick will join the show for a live interview during pregame warmups in Chapel Hill. Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and Houston head coach Willie Fritz provide ‘All-Access’ looks into preparations before their undefeated teams meet on Saturday.
- Coach’s Film Room – Nick Saban, the seven-time National Champion and legendary Alabama head coach, takes fans inside his film room to break down the Miami defense before the Hurricanes renew their rivalry with Florida State.
Week 6’s guest picker and additional guests will be announced ahead of Saturday’s show on ESPN PR’s Twitter and College GameDay’s Twitter.
Features:
- Pavia’s Encore – A year ago, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia guided the Commodores to a shocking upset of No. 1 Alabama. Now, in his 6th collegiate season, Pavia has led Vandy to its second 5-0 start in 80 years, winning each game by at least 20 points. Kirk Herbstreit sits down with the Commodores’ dual-threat signal caller as Vanderbilt heads to Tuscaloosa with the nation’s fourth ranked offense.
- Unbreakable– University of Houston’s Director of Strength and Performance Kurt Hester often tests the will of his players. After a fluke rib injury brought him to the hospital for an x-ray, doctors discovered masses on two of his vital organs. More than six months after a cancer diagnosis, Kurt has lost his hair and almost 50 pounds, but not his indomitable spirit. Jen Lada reports.
- The Rivalry– From 1987 to 1993, Florida State and Miami met four times when both were ranked in the top 5 in the country. With state bragging rights and national championship aspirations on the line, the stakes were massive when the Seminoles and Hurricanes squared off. The talent on the field was undeniable – 60 future NFL players suited up for the 1987 game alone. Like all great rivalries, the moments during this seven-year period – “Bowden goes for two and the win,” “Wide Right I,” “Wide Right II,” – defined an era in college football.
- The Sky Is Not Falling– Fan bases around the country are agonizing over tough losses in September. But as last season’s College Football Playoff finalists Ohio State and Notre Dame proved, an early loss – or even a late one – doesn’t eliminate a team’s chances of hoisting the CFP trophy in January. Ryan McGee reports.
ESPN’s Expansive Digital Coverage
Back for their fourth season together, Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr., return with ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Presented by Dr Pepper. The trio heads to Tuscaloosa for the top 20 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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Media Contact:
Julie McKay, ESPN Communications – Julie.McKay@espn.com
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