Although ESPN’s Lee Corso may have put on the tiger mascot head to avoid getting hit by golf balls, he chose the right team to win Saturday’s SEC showdown.
ESPN College GameDay broadcast live from outside Tiger Stadium this weekend and thousands of Tiger fans packed the area behind the set to show their spirit to the entire nation.
Corso, one of the three GameDay hosts, picked LSU to win and announced it to the throngs of excited fans by putting on a tiger mascot head.
Fans with tall signs and flags cheered and sang in the background as GameDay co-hosts Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit spent their two-hour pre-game show analyzing a long list of Saturday’s college football match-ups and highlighted the LSU v. Georgia game.
Both Tiger fans and Georgia Bulldog fans arrived on campus early to show their spirit on national television.
Jonathan Brown, a biology freshman, arrived at the GameDay set at 6 a.m. Friday morning. Brown was the first fan to claim a spot for the background of the ESPN show.
“It’s to get the hype up for the game,” Brown said. “It’s the thrill of getting here. You can just feel it. This is what it’s all about.”
While most students had not yet woken up for Friday classes, Brown claimed his spot at the end of the ramp, set up his small camping tent and prepared to spend the entire weekend outside Tiger Stadium.
Brown’s friends joined him later and they all tailgated on a small tent-covered stage, which was used Saturday for a Cajun band. Lawn chairs, a TV and two kegs of beer completed their tailgating party.
The group of early-birds was part of the smaller crowd for GameDay’s short Friday afternoon taping and the huge crowd on Saturday morning.
Brown, who was not planning on leaving until Sunday afternoon, said his ultimate goal for the adventure was to show his Tiger spirit and get on television.
“All this publicity is great for LSU,” Brown said. “Win or lose, this game will definitely bring LSU some national attention.”
After setting up his tailgating supplies on the Parade Grounds, loyal tiger fan Paul Simmons joined the crowd for the GameDay taping early Saturday morning.
“It was cool to see one of the best shows on TV right here on our own campus,” Simmons said.
Simmons, who was on the front row of fans for a good portion of Saturday’s filming, said GameDay’s presence helped prepare the fans for a big game.
The huge crowds of tailgaters outside the stadium and around the campus proved they were ready for a big win by flooding the gates of Tiger Stadium and setting an attendance record.
The announced attendance of 92,251 beat the previous Tiger Stadium record from the 2001 LSU v. Auburn game by 110 people.
Saturday was only the fourth time in LSU history the attendance at Tiger Stadium exceeded 92,000.