College GameDay is returning to the University of South Carolina’s campus for the first time in a decade. Here is everything you need to know to make the most of your GameDay experience.
College GameDay is ESPN’s premier college football pre-game show. Rece Davis is set to host the show alongside GameDay analysts Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Steve Coughlin and Lee Corso. The show travels to various campuses involved in college football throughout the season. Locations are chosen one week in advance, and selection is based on factors like highly-anticipated matchups, and rivalries.
The show has visited the campuses of Texas A&M and Michigan this season. It also took a trip to Dublin, Ireland for a neutral site game between Florida State and Notre Dame to kick off the 2024 campaign.
College GameDay will be visiting South Carolina's campus for the seventh time in the show's history. Its last three shows in Columbia were broadcast live from the Historic Horseshoe.
The show's last trip to Columbia was on Sept. 27, 2014, when the Gamecocks took on Missouri during a night game at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina went on to lose that game 21-20.
What's going on and how to prepare
Gamecock Park will be open on Friday, providing an opportunity for Gamecock fans to stop by the College GameDay set. ESPN’s College Football Live will air from the set at 4 p.m. The set will be the location for various SportsCenter segments throughout the day.
On Saturday, live broadcasting from Gamecock Park will begin at 7:30 a.m. with an appearance from Howard on ABC's Good Morning America. From there, more SportsCenter segments will be live from the location until "Countdown to GameDay" begins live on ESPN at 8:15 a.m.
If you are planning on attending the live taping of the iconic show, be prepared for a very early start to your Saturday morning.
All athletics-controlled parking lots and Gamecock Park will open at 6 a.m. College Gameday’s pit will open at 6:30 a.m.
The University of South Carolina will run shuttles from the Russell House to Gamecock Park starting at 5:45 a.m. The shuttle is free for students. Normal game day shuttles from Colonial Life Arena, Russell House and Campus Village will begin operating at 8 a.m.
The first 600 students that show up at Gamecock Park will also receive a free breakfast and t-shirt once the gates open. A record 20,000 student tickets were requested for Saturday's game, according post to X, formerly known as Twitter, by the Cockpit, South Carolina's official student section moniker.
GameDay advice
While it is important to show your Gamecock pride by wearing garnet and black, it's also important to check the weather before heading outside. It is best to be prepared for rain as the weather for Saturday is forecasted to be cloudy and rainy due to Hurricane Francine.
If you want to bring a sign on Saturday, be aware of the show’s rules for what is allowed. College GameDay explicitly warns against bringing signs that feature vulgarity, religion, politics or websites. All signs brought to the show will be inspected before entry and will be removed if against policy. Signs brought to the pit are not allowed to be oversized or hung on poles, according to the College GameDay page on ESPN's website.
Gamecock Entertainment will also be hosting two poster-making events on Greene Street leading up to GameDay. The first will go from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, and the second will go from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday.
The College GameDay pit is a first-come, first-serve standing area immediately adjacent to the show’s stage. Students admitted into the pit are encouraged to wear their university’s colors and will have a numbered wristband. Students are not allowed to bring bags, food, drink, pens, pencils, markers or dry-erase boards if they are interested in entering the pit.
College GameDay will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPNU from 9 a.m. to noon. The show will air live from Tommy Suggs Garnet Way at Gamecock Park until 10:45 a.m. before moving inside Williams-Brice Stadium at 11 a.m. for the final hour of the show.