The highly anticipated LSU/Georgia game Saturday has an added attraction – ESPN’s “College GameDay” will air its live pregame show just outside the PMAC at 9:30 a.m.
The show, hosted by Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso, is making its third appearance in Baton Rouge and also will do a radio show and Sportscenter piece on Friday. The show came in 1996 against Alabama and again in 1997 when LSU hosted No. 1 Florida.
LSU and Georgia face off at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
LSU coach Nick Saban was not here for the crew’s first two trips, and at Monday’s press luncheon he said the hype of the game and ESPN coming to town is not a big deal.
“I know everybody’s out to make this the biggest game of the year – GameDay’s here – but I hate to disappoint you because it’s not really a defining game for the SEC,” Saban said. “Every game is an important game. This game is a big game, but this is just the game this week.”
Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said having the show come to Baton Rouge again is great for LSU because it generates national interest in the game and the teams and puts LSU in the spotlight. He said since the network was considering coming to LSU last week his phone has been ringing constantly, from media and fans wanting to know if GameDay was coming.
“You see them on TV, you watch them and you can always see the fans on the backdrop,” Bonnette said. “It puts LSU in the national spotlight because the game’s nationally televised on CBS, and then our campus and our football program will be talked about on ESPN all morning on Saturday and well into the night. Any time you can put your program in the national spotlight it helps because your recruits are watching.”
The Tigers are 1-1 in games when GameDay has been on campus. In 1996, No. 10 Alabama rolled 26-0 over No. 11 LSU. When GameDay came back in 1997 for No. 14 LSU’s game against No. 1 Florida, the Tigers went on to upset the top-ranked Gators, 28-21. The victory is LSU’s only win over a No. 1-ranked team.
Associate Athletics Director of External Affairs Herb Vincent said the TV crew usually starts setting up around Wednesday or Thursday and usually stays through Saturday night, with live cut-ins recapping college football games throughout the day. Vincent said he thinks ESPN enjoys coming to Baton Rouge, and fans enjoy it too.
“It raises the status of the game, brings it to the next level,” Vincent said. “It kind of stamps your game as the one to watch. The campus gets excited, and the whole city is excited. It’s become kind of a cult following.”
Vincent said the set, which crews begin setting up earlier in the week, is located near the ramps of the PMAC, and a net should be in place to separate the fans from the hosts.
“The first time they didn’t have a protective net. It’s because of us that they put up the net,” he said. “Somebody at the end of [Corso’s] first show, when he picked Alabama to win in ’96, threw a golf ball at him and missed him. It bounced off the set.”
LSU offensive tackle Rodney Reed said he normally watches GameDay on Saturday morning, but he will have to get someone to tape it for him because of the earlier starting time of the game.
“That’s a big thing for GameDay to come, but you can’t let that distract you,” Reed said. “It’s more for the fans and the excitement and intensity of Tiger Stadium.”