Over 36 years, ESPN’s “College GameDay” has grown from a little-known in-studio cable TV show into a multimedia behemoth that routinely attracts more than two million viewers each week.
Which college football games will Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, and the rest of the GameDay crew visit in 2023?
Here are predictions for the 2023 season:
Week 0: Navy vs. Notre Dame
Location: Dublin
Three years after COVID wiped out Navy-Notre Dame in Dublin — and College GameDay’s first international show — the game will finally be played on Aug. 26, 2023, at Aviva Stadium.
As of April, ESPN hasn’t announced plans to go to Ireland. For the 2020 game, the network announced the plans 10 months in advance.
Week 1: Colorado at TCU
Location: Fort Worth
Colorado-TCU isn’t the biggest Week 1 game on the 2023 college football schedule. But it is the most saucy, with the defending national runner-up against Deion Sanders.
Last year’s game in Boulder — a 38-13 TCU win — was the first meeting between the programs. The second one will have significantly more national interest.
Week 2: Texas at Alabama
Location: Tuscaloosa
If ESPN doesn’t go to Fort Worth in Week 1 and Colorado beats TCU, the show might go to Boulder for Colorado-Nebraska in Week 2.
If not, Alabama-Texas will probably be the pick for the second straight year as future SEC foes conclude a home-and-home series. It’ll be their second all-time meeting in Tuscaloosa, and first since 1902.
Week 3: Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Location: Morgantown
Instead of picking an early SEC conference game — Tennessee at Florida or LSU at Mississippi State — ESPN might try to replicate last year’s madness of the Backyard Brawl.
West Virginia hasn’t hosted GameDay since 2014.
Week 4: Florida State at Clemson
Location: Clemson
If Colorado and Oregon are 3-0 entering Week 4, GameDay will probably be in Eugene as the Buffaloes look for just their second win over the Ducks since joining the Pac-12.
For now, the safer bet is 3-0 Florida State at 3-0 Clemson or 3-0 UCLA at 3-0 Utah.
Florida State has been featured only once in the last five seasons, while the Utes haven’t hosted the show since 2016.
Week 5: Georgia at Auburn
Location: Auburn
The obligatory Colorado note: If the Buffaloes don’t suck by Week 5 — i.e., if they’re 2-2 with wins over Nebraska and Colorado State and reasonable showings against TCU and Oregon — they’ll probably host GameDay in Week 5 with USC in town.
Colorado hosted three of GameDay’s first 19 on-location shows. It hasn’t hosted since (September 1996).
But, for now, the safer bet is a 4-0 Hugh Freeze-led Auburn team at home against the two-time defending national champions.
Georgia is currently atop national championship odds at the online sportsbook.
Week 6: Oklahoma vs. Texas
Location: Dallas
GameDay was in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry three times from 2008-2011. Since then: only twice (2018 and 2021).
Other options include Alabama-Texas A&M, Notre Dame-Louisville, and Kentucky-Georgia.
Week 7: USC at Notre Dame
Location: South Bend
It’s been 11 years since GameDay broadcast from a USC-Notre Dame game. And it’s been 28 years since GameDay broadcast from a USC-Notre Dame in South Bend.
If the Irish don’t suck, they should host in Week 7.
Week 8: Tennessee at Alabama
Location: Tuscaloosa
In each of the last three seasons, one school has hosted GameDay twice. Tennessee most recently did it last year.
Alabama could do it this year with Texas in Week 2 and Tennessee in Week 8.
If not, other options include Penn State-Ohio State, Utah-USC, Clemson-Miami (FL), and TCU-Kansas State.
Week 9: Ohio State at Wisconsin
Location: Madison
If Luke Fickell leads an immediate return to national relevance, Wisconsin could host GameDay for the first time since 2017.
If not, and if ESPN doesn’t pick UCLA-Utah in Week 4, Utah could host with Oregon in town.
Week 10: LSU at Alabama
Location: Tuscaloosa
GameDay has never visited the same city three times in one year. And I don’t believe that’ll happen in 2023.
If ESPN is eyeing this LSU-Alabama game for weeks, it’ll likely pass on Tuscaloosa in Week 8. That’s also assuming Tennessee is in the SEC title and playoff picture by Week 8. If not, it’ll be an easier pass for the network.
Unless LSU is legitimately bad, GameDay will be in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 4.
Week 11: Michigan at Penn State
Location: University Park
At this point in the season, predictions rely entirely on results, i.e., playoff contention.
Michigan-Penn State, USC-Oregon, and Ole Miss-Georgia are the smart bets.
Week 12: Georgia at Tennessee
Location: Knoxville
If it’s not Georgia-Tennessee for the de facto SEC East title game, it’s probably UCLA-USC
Weeks 11 and 12 might be the FCS’ best chances at landing a third visit in the last two seasons. But for any team — most likely North Dakota State (vs. Southern Illinois in Week 11), South Dakota State (vs. Missouri State in Week 12), or Montana (vs. Montana State in Week 12) — to host, they’ll need an underwhelming FBS schedule.
Week 13: Ohio State at Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor
“College GameDay” has broadcast from Ohio State-Michigan or Auburn-Alabama in six of the last seven seasons during rivalry weekend.
There’s reason to believe it won’t do it again in 2023. And there’s no reason to believe it’ll pass on Ann Arbor for the first time since that blizzard game in 2021.
Week 14: SEC Championship
Location: Atlanta
The SEC Championship has hosted GameDay only twice in the last 10 seasons (2018 and 2019). If the game features two playoff contenders, ESPN will be back in 2022.
Week 15: Army vs. Navy
Location: Foxborough
The Army-Navy Game has hosted GameDay in nine straight seasons. There’s no reason to believe it won’t host again in 2023 when the game is played in Massachusetts — at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — for the first time.
Massachusetts will be the seventh different state to host the Army-Navy Game.
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