‘College GameDay’ Returns To Knoxville For Matchup Between No. 6 Tennessee, No. 3 Alabama

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ESPN’s College GameDay is headed back to Knoxville for the second time this season as No. 6 Tennessee will play No. 3 Alabama in what will be one of the biggest conference showdowns of the season.

SEC Network’s SEC Nation will also be in town to spotlight the “Third Saturday in October” rivalry between the two teams. This is the first time both shows will be in the same town since 1989.

College football’s most celebrated pregame show once again originates from the lawn at Ayres Hall from 8 a.m. to noon CT on Saturday (Oct. 15). This is College GameDay’s 11th all-time visit to the UTK 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 9:30 a.m. CT. The Pat McAfee Show airs live on YouTube from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT, followed by College Football Live on ESPN2 from 2-2:30 p.m. CT.

On Saturday, access to the College GameDay fan zone opens at 5:30 a.m. CT. Programming begins with live shots on ESPN SportsCenter at 6:45 a.m. CT. ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Live, airs from 7:30-8 a.m. CT.  The main College GameDay Show kicks off at 8 a.m. CT on ESPN and ESPNU. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will make a live appearance at approximately 9:30 a.m. CT.

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.

Saturday’s Tennessee-Alabama football game kicks off at 2:39 p.m. CT on CBS, with live pregame coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT. 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.

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 10:30 a.m. CT, and gates to Neyland Stadium open at 12:30 p.m. CT. 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 in Eastern Time:

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
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 in Eastern Time:

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)

Steven Boero
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