As if this weekend’s Pacific-10 Conference clash between Oregon and No. 6 UCLA wasn’t hyped up enough, it was announced on Monday that ESPN is headed to Eugene to further add fuel to this fire.
ESPN’s popular College GameDay preview show will be broadcasting live from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. outside of Autzen Stadium on Saturday morning. The show selected this weekend’s game as its featured game of the week, giving the Oregon athletic program another huge opportunity to gain national exposure.
“I think it’s very exciting to have ESPN coming to Eugene,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “It also puts our game front and center; playing in the spotlight, there’s no place to hide.”
College GameDay is anchored by Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit. The three will be seated in an outdoor studio somewhere on the Autzen Stadium complex. ESPN officials were expected to fly into town and meet with the athletic department on Tuesday to go over possible sites, with the backdrop of the Casanova and Moshofsky Centers being a strong possibility.
Coincidentally, ESPN also chose to have its GameDay crew in Los Angeles two seasons ago for a Bruin game against the Ducks. Saturday’s game will be the first time ever that the show has televised from the Northwest and only the third time that it has held its show west of the Mississippi River.
“We are extremely excited to be the first college in the Northwest to host ESPN,” Oregon athletic director Bill Moos said. “I encourage all of our students, fans and alumni to join me Saturday morning and take part in what will be a great national showcase for the University of Oregon and the Pacific-10 Conference.”
The parking lots to Autzen Stadium will be opened at 7 a.m. and pre-game festivities will take place at 8 a.m. inside the Moshofsky Center. Also at 8 a.m., there will be an interactive display in the Moshofsky Center that will be put on by Tostitos, the official sponsor of College GameDay.
After Monday’s practice, many Oregon players seemed genuinely “pumped” that ESPN will be on hand for the 12:30 p.m. game, which also happens to be televised live by Fox Sports Net.
“It’s going to be sweet not only for the players here, but also for this program as a whole,” senior wide receiver Marshaun Tucker said. “So we can go out there and prove to everybody what Oregon’s all about. And also, it can help place us on the map and let people know we’re out here.”
The two previous featured ESPN games this season were the Florida-Tennessee tilt on Sept. 16 and the Nebraska-Notre Dame clash on Sept. 9.