ESPN’s “College GameDay” is making itself at home in Utah, and so is the biggest ticket price on this week’s college football slate.
After spending last weekend in Provo, the traveling pregame show is heading about 45 miles north to Salt Lake City, where No. 10 Utah hosts No.
14 Houston at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night. The matchup carries a get-in price of $254 on TicketData.com, the highest of any game involving teams in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
That figure has climbed 12% over the past three days and could keep moving as kickoff gets closer.
The game is set for 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN, with mostly clear skies expected in Salt Lake City, a slight chance of light rain and temperatures in the mid-40s.
“GameDay” will be on campus before the Utes and Cougars kick off, with the three-hour broadcast beginning at 7 a.m. MDT. For Utah, it’s another national showcase in front of its home crowd.
The Utes bring an unbeaten record into the weekend and, according to ESPN, rank 12th nationally in total defense and ninth in total offense. Houston, though, arrives with plenty of firepower of its own. The Cougars are 10th in total offense, giving this one the kind of balance-versus-balance feel that should make for a lively Saturday night.
Utah got a warning sign last weekend. The Utes raced to a 13-0 halftime lead against Colorado, then watched the Buffaloes reel off 17 straight points in the third quarter.
Utah still escaped with a 27-24 win, helped by Devon Dampier’s three touchdown passes and a late defensive stop. Against a Houston offense ranked among the nation’s best, the Utes will need a steadier four quarters to keep the streak alive.
The Utah-Houston game sits atop a Week 7 schedule stacked with AP Top 25 matchups. No.
7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas is next on the list, with the cheapest available ticket at $230 on the same website, down 28% over the previous three days.
Other notable games include No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina for $157, No.
18 LSU at Auburn at $149 and No. 6 Indiana at Michigan at $134.
There’s a BYU angle to the weekend, too. The No.
2 Cougars head to UCF with a listed entry price of $60, even after their big win over Notre Dame. That number is up 30% over the previous three days.
It’s a striking contrast from last Saturday, when BYU-Notre Dame was one of the priciest games in the country at around $429 on Wednesday.
Last weekend’s “GameDay” stop in Provo brought an early crowd, Cosmo working the fans and ESPN personalities leaning into BYU’s campus vibe. The payoff came that night, when BYU stunned then-No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Now the spotlight shifts north. Utah’s campus setting at President’s Circle will provide a different stage, but the same national attention. And with the Utes unbeaten, the Cougars ranked, and the state hosting “GameDay” for a second straight week, Salt Lake City is the center of college football once again.
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Utah Gets A Huge Stage With Far More Than Hype At Stake
College GameDay is headed back to Utah, this time landing in Salt Lake City on Oct. 24 before the Utes host Houston at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It will be the shows second straight week in the state after last weeks stop in Provo, another sign of how much national attention the Big 12 race is drawing to this corner of the conference.
For Utah, the stage comes with plenty more than just the usual pregame buzz. The Utes enter the matchup unbeaten, Houston brings a strong record of its own, and both teams have a real say in the league picture. The crowd will be there for the atmosphere, but the game itself could carry far more weight than the broadcast lead-in. [Read more 🡒]
Utah's Perfect Start Suddenly Comes With A Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Utah is still perfect, but Saturdays 27-24 win over Colorado came with a jolt the Utes hadnt felt much this fall. The Buffaloes briefly moved in front late in the third quarter on Elliot Arnolds field goal, and Utah had to answer with key plays from quarterback Devon Dampier and receiver Braden Pegan to keep its unbeaten season intact at 6-0.
Even with the comeback, head coach Morgan Scalley had enough to nitpick afterward, and that is part of what makes this stretch so interesting for Utah. The Utes found a way to survive in a tight game, but the performance left open questions about how cleanly theyre finishing drives and how sustainable the offense will look if the margins get even thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Escaped Colorado With A Bigger Concern Still Looming
Utah left Boulder with a 27-24 win over Colorado, and for most of the afternoon the Utes had to squeeze every bit of production out of an offense that found its rhythm only in spurts. Devon Dampier threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns, and Creed Whittemore came through with the kind of catches that kept drives alive and helped Utah keep pace in a game that stayed tight into the final minutes.
The defense then did its part in the fourth quarter, making the timely stops Utah needed to survive Colorados push and bring the trip to a close with a victory. Even so, the escape came with a reminder that the Utes are still searching for cleaner finishes, because a game that was there to be controlled instead had to be saved late. [Read more 🡒]