ESPN's College GameDay Built by The Home Depot Heads to Happy Valley for Top-10 Big Ten Showdown

ESPN's College GameDay Built by The Home Depot is set to make its 11th trip to State College, Pennsylvania, for the top-10 Big Ten showdown between Oregon and Penn State. The premier pregame show will originate from Old Main Lawn on campus from 9 a.m. to noon ET (ESPN, ESPNU, and Disney+) ahead of the match-up. Rece Davis will be at the helm for his 11th season, joined by GameDay analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and Nick Saban, among others.

Key Takeaways:

ESPN's College GameDay will broadcast live from Old Main Lawn on the Penn State campus, marking its 11th trip to the location.
The show will feature a live appearance by Penn State head coach James Franklin ahead of the Big Ten matchup against Oregon.
College football insider Pete Thamel, college football betting analyst "Stanford Steve" Coughlin, and reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims will also contribute to the show.
The event is part of the show's fourth season on-site activations, including the Home Depot Hype Hat and on-site prize giveaways.
Pat McAfee's Kicking Contest returns for its third season, with an exclusive contest during the live show, offering an opportunity for fans to win prizes and charity donations.
On-Site giveaways will include "white out" towels, customizable t-shirts celebrating GameDay's visit, and an immersive hype room experience, the Home Depot Hype Hat.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early and wear white to the show to bring the "White Out" to Old Main Lawn on Saturday morning.
The show and offerings are free for fans, and early arrival is encouraged for exclusive offers and on-site prizes.
For more information, Penn State fans can visit the College GameDay Hub page.

Statistics:

The Week 4 show from Miami averaged 2.8 million viewers, up 33% from 2024's Week 4 episode.
The show had a peak of 4.4 million viewers, with 3.4 million final-hour viewers.
College GameDay delivered its second-most-watched regular season episode ever, pacing up 37% season-to-date from the 2024 season.
Pat McAfee has given out over $2,000,000 of his own money in prizes and charity donations across his time on the show.

Sources:

ESPN (https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/09/espns-college-gameday-built-by-the-home-depot-heads-to-happy-valley-for-top-10-big-ten-showdown/)
ESPN's College GameDay Hub page (https://www.espn.com/college-game-day/)