Two of college football’s most storied programs meet as unbeatens for the first time since 1989 as ESPN College GameDay and SEC Network’s SEC Nation descend on Knoxville to spotlight the “Third Saturday in October” rivalry between Tennessee and Alabama.
ESPN College GameDay and SEC Nation both will set the stage for Saturday’s clash between the No. 6/8 Volunteers and No. 3/1 Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium (CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET).
ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY
This weekend marks ESPN College GameDay’s second visit to Knoxville in four weeks. College football’s most celebrated pregame show once again originates from the lawn at Ayres Hall from 9 a.m. to noon ET Saturday. This is College GameDay’s 11th all-time visit to the UT campus and only the second time the show has coincided with the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry (1995, live from Birmingham, Alabama).
Fans are encouraged to show up to the lawn at Ayres Hall for live programming Friday. Live shots and taping for shows across the ESPN family of networks begin at 10:30 a.m. ET. The Pat McAfee Show airs live on YouTube from 1 to 2 p.m. ET followed by College Football Live on ESPN2 from 3-3:30 p.m.
On Saturday, access to the College GameDay fan zone — located immediately behind the set’s main stage — opens at 6:30 a.m. ET. Programming begins with live shots on ESPN SportsCenter at 7:45 a.m. ET.
ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Live, airs from 8:30-9 a.m. ET. The show is available on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App.
The main College GameDay Show kicks off at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN and ESPNU. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will make a live appearance at approximately 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Rece Davis leads the show in his eighth season as host and is joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, David Pollack and Pat McAfee. Reporters Jen Lada, Tennessee alum Gene Wojciechowski and newcomer Jess Sims, along with research producer Chris “The Bear” Fallica and college football insider Pete Thamel, round out the GameDay crew.
SEC NATION (and more)
SEC Network’s weekly, traveling pre-game show, SEC Nation Presented by Regions, adds to this weekend’s excitement around Neyland Stadium. With Tennessee’s gridiron cathedral serving as the backdrop, the show originates live from the east ramp of Thompson-Boling Arena Saturday from 10-noon ET.
Laura Rutledge hosts the show—her sixth season in that role—and is joined by UT alum Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers and Tim Tebow for in-depth breakdowns of matchups and storylines throughout the SEC.
Marty & McGee Presented by Old Trapper also airs live Saturday from 9-10 a.m. ET, as Marty Smith and UT alum Ryan McGee meet at the intersection of southern lifestyle and college football to bring viewers the latest headlines across the SEC landscape.
The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Johnsonville, with #FinebaumFriday, also originates live from the east ramp of Thompson-Boling Arena from 3-7 p.m. ET.
Fans also can expect multiple University of Tennessee guests to join the SEC Network’s various live programming both Friday and Saturday.
CBS COVERAGE & GAMEDAY REMINDERS
Saturday’s Tennessee-Alabama football game kicks off at 3:39 p.m. ET on CBS, with live pregame coverage on CBS beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell will call the action.
Neyland Stadium will be packed with yet another sold-out crowd, and fans are encouraged to participate in a stadium-wide “Orange Out” by wearing all orange Saturday.
Fans are strongly encouraged to arrive early and have their digital parking passes and tickets downloaded to their digital wallet apps before arriving on campus. Gate 21 Will Call opens at 11:30 a.m. ET, and gates to Neyland Stadium open at 1:30 p.m. ET. Vol Walk occurs at 1:20 p.m. Fans without a game ticket are welcome to attend the Toyota Vol Village watch party.
For more information, visit UTsports.com/gameday.
Ayres Hall Lawn Schedule of Events
Friday, Oct. 14
11:15 a.m. ET – Live and taped segments for ESPN programming on main set begin
1-2 p.m. ET – Pat McAfee Show (airs live on YouTube)
3-3:30 p.m. ET – College Football Live (airs live on ESPN2; re-airs on ESPN2 at 4:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Oct. 15
6:30 a.m. ET – ESPN College GameDay pit opens
7:45 a.m. ET – ESPN SportsCenter live shots begin (airs live on ESPN)
8:30 a.m. ET – Countdown to GameDay Live (digital show that airs live on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App)
9 a.m.-noon ET – ESPN College GameDay (airs live on ESPN and ESPNU)
10:30 a.m. ET – Head Coach Josh Heupel live on ESPN College GameDay set
Thompson-Boling Arena East Ramp Schedule of Events
Friday, Oct. 14
3-7 p.m. ET – The Paul Finebaum Show (airs live on SEC Network)
Saturday, Oct. 15
9-10 a.m. ET – Marty & McGee (airs live on SEC Network)
10-noon a.m. ET – SEC Nation (airs live on SEC Network)
(Tennessee Athletics)
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