ESPN’s College GameDay is making its return to Boise on Saturday, and this one comes with some familiar company.
For the first time since 2010, the show will set up in the Treasure Valley for a Pac-12 matchup featuring No. 24 Boise State and Oregon State. The Broncos enter at 8-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play, while Oregon State is 5-4 and 3-2.
The GameDay stage went up Thursday at DeChevrieux Field, just off the southwest corner of Albertsons Stadium. Fans won’t need a ticket to get in, but they will need to plan ahead: the gates open at 4:30 a.m. Mountain time Saturday, with live hits starting around 5:40 a.m. and the full three-hour broadcast running from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson called the show part of the fabric of fall football and said the moment carries extra weight for the program.
“I think it’s a huge part of the American culture in the fall,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said of College GameDay. “Just being able to wake up on Saturdays and watch College GameDay, it’s awesome. It’s going to be a really cool moment to be able to meet some of these guys in person on Saturday.
“It hasn’t happened here in 16 years. I don’t know the exact stats, but I’m sure there’s FBS schools that have never had College GameDay come to their campus. And especially in the landscape with new playoff rules … being able to have College GameDay here is a huge solidifying moment (for Boise State).”
Athletic director Jeramiah Dickey also pushed for a strong turnout, urging Bronco fans to arrive early and bring the noise.
“Bronco Nation, this is our opportunity to show the country what makes Boise State and our community elite,” Dickey said in a statement. “We need everyone to show up early, wear their blue and orange, bring the energy, and help us set a new College GameDay attendance record.”
There are a few practical notes for anyone heading to campus. Boise State said parking will be limited because of several on-campus events Saturday, and the school posted a full question-and-answer guide on broncosports.com.
The broadcast itself will air on ESPN, ESPNU, the ESPN App and Disney+, while the Boise State-Oregon State game will be shown on USA Network at 4 p.m.
Saturday’s guest picker is former Boise State running back Ian Johnson, whose name is forever tied to the Broncos’ 2007 Fiesta Bowl win. Johnson scored the game-winning two-point conversion in that game and proposed to his now-wife right after the final whistle.
Danielson said he has crossed paths with Johnson a few times and called him a major figure in the community.
“I’ve met Ian a couple times, we’re not super close, but he was awesome the couple of times I met him and his wife and his kids,” Danielson said. “He’s a pillar in this community, and obviously that moment 20 years ago changed this community forever. Being able to drop on a knee after it’s all said and done, that’s one of the greatest sports moments in the history of sports.”
This will be the second time College GameDay has broadcast from Boise. The first came in 2010, when the show visited the city for a non-conference game between Boise State and Oregon State.
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