ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot opens its 40th season live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for its 500th show on the road. LSU hosts GameDay for the 15th time, fourth-most among all schools. The premier college football pregame show airs Saturday, Sept. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN, ESPNU, Disney+ and the ESPN App, setting the stage for a primetime showdown as Clemson visits No. 11 LSU at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. LSU has won four of the previous five meetings against Clemson, including a 17-10 road win last season.
For GameDay’s 40th season, Rece Davis returns as host alongside analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and “Stanford Steve” Coughlin, with reporters Jen Lada, Jess Sims and Pete Thamel rounding out the nine-member on-air team. The season also marks 30 years since Herbstreit made his GameDay debut in Boulder, Colorado, on Saturday, Sept. 14, 1996.
Additionally, the fan-favorite Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest will return to GameDay for its fourth season. Fans who arrive early will have a chance to be chosen from the “pit” onsite with the opportunity to attempt a 33-yard field goal. McAfee has given out more than $6 million of his own money in prizes and charity donations across his time on the show. Full details, including official rules, can be found here.
Show highlights & guests:
- Celebrity guest pickers will be announced live on The Pat McAfee Show each Thursday this season. This Thursday, Sept. 3, the announcement will come at the top of the show at 12:05 p.m.
- LSU head coach Lane Kiffin will join College GameDay live on set ahead of his debut as the Tigers’ head coach when No. 11 LSU takes on Clemson (7:30 p.m. on ABC). Plus, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti joins the show as the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers prepare to open their season against North Texas.
- Jess Sims shares the inside story of the history of the No. 7 jersey at LSU. This season, it will actually be two Tigers who wear this coveted jersey. Tight end Trey’Dez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks were awarded the No. 7 for 2026, which goes to the top playmaker on the squad. This is just the second time the No. 7 has been split since the tradition started with cornerback Patrick Peterson in 2008.
Features:
- 40 Years & 500 Shows on the Road – After first taking the show on the road on November 13, 1993, College GameDaymarks its 500th show on the road from Baton Rouge, celebrating the students and fans who have fueled every stop along the way. Jen Lada reports.
- Changing Lanes – Lane Kiffin brings his offensive wizardry and trademark drama to LSU, where the latest chapter of the Kiffin Chronicles begins in Death Valley. Marty Smith reports.
New for Season 40: ESPN College GameDay Scavenger Hunt
ESPN will launch the ESPN College GameDay Scavenger Hunt with Week 1 in Baton Rouge, giving fans an interactive way to engage with the show throughout the season beyond Saturday mornings.
Contests open each Wednesday before College GameDay via a dedicated digital microsite, where fans can submit responses and imagery. Participants can complete one challenge per day leading up to game day, with tasks ranging from seeking out campus landmarks to answering trivia about past editions of College GameDay.
In Baton Rouge, participants will engage at LSU’s Greek Theater, around the Mike the Tiger Habitat and the College GameDay shield at the LSU Memorial Tower.
Fifteen winners will be selected at random from among participants who complete all tasks. Each winner, plus one guest, will receive access to a premium seating area near the front of the GameDay broadcast within camera view and exclusive College GameDay merchandise. Fifty additional winners will also receive official ESPN College GameDay merchandise.
ESPN collaborated with experiential agency Assembli on the interactive digital and on-site fan experience, with Flowcode connecting the initiative inside the new College Football ESPN Fan House.
The “Herbie Awards: Preseason Special” airs Friday
The preseason edition of 27th annual Herbie Awards air Friday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. on ESPN with a fresh new look. Davis will be joined by Herbstreit for his annual watchlists previewing the best in college football, which includes an interview with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.
Countdown to GameDay returns
Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr. return for their fifth season as co-hosts of ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay, with Sims joining the duo this season as a co-host, reporting live from the College GameDay site each week. The show is available weekly at 8:20 a.m. across ESPN on YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App.
