ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot is set for a unique show this weekend, originating from Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament.
As second round play is slated to be completed early Saturday morning, College GameDay will begin at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and move to ESPN when coverage of the Masters finishes.
The 11-time Emmy Award-winning show will emanate from the Par 3 course at the iconic venue. GameDay is hosted by Rece Davis, who is joined by Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack, Maria Taylor and Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica, with Lee Corso joining the show live from his home.
Additional contributors throughout the season include Jen Lada, Pat McAfee, as well as Tom Rinaldi and Gene Wojciechowski, who will balance dual roles as they report on the Masters, in addition to contributing to College GameDay’s storytelling.
Augusta, Ga., is the 91st different city to host GameDay and joins Times Square, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, Bristol Motor Speedway, Independence Hall, Downtown Fargo, Sundance Square, Wrigley Field, Beale Street and the USS San Diego as non-traditional football locations to host the show.
The show precedes a full slate of action across ESPN networks, beginning at noon.
Herbstreit will join Chris Fowler and Holly Rowe for the call of ABC’s Saturday Night Football, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Scheduled Show Highlights
- We are Still Marshall – On the night of November 14, 1970, Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed less than a mile from its destination. On board were 36 Marshall University football players, nine coaches, 25 boosters and five crew members. Fifty years later, GameDay looks at the impact of that night, and the connection each Marshall team shares with the 75 who lost their lives. Reporter: Gene Wojciechowski (preview)
- Two for the Tide – During his two year tenure at the University of Alabama, PGA Tour golfer Justin Thomas became acquainted with football coach Nick Saban. Now, the two champions of their respective sports continue to keep in touch through phone calls… and a little trash talk. Reporter: Tom Rinaldi
- Irish Impact – The Athletic writer Pete Sampson went looking for the best way to describe how hard Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah hits, and ended up enlisting Irish alum and Naval Academy physics professor PJ Moran to get the answer. Reporter: Jen Lada
- Courses and Cathedrals – From the Big House to Death Valley…South Bend to the Coliseum, college football has its share of hallowed grounds. From the cathedral of golf, Rinaldi connects the ties that bind these sacred spaces
- Fairways to Field Goals – Upon first glance maybe there isn’t much of a connection between Augusta National and college football, but Wojciechowski takes a closer look at the relationship between the Masters and the college game, and it starts at the very beginning
- Rece Davis speaks with Stanford head coach David Shaw about Tiger Woods’ connection with his alma mater
- Tom Rinaldi interviews legendary play-by-play commentator Verne Lundquist, who has called some of the most memorable moments in college football and the Masters
