It’s official: ESPN’s College GameDay has once again proved that tradition and heartfelt community campaigns simply cannot compete with the allure of big-name brands and the promise of higher ratings. It simply cannot. On top of that, Pat McAfee and Co. have faced the full wrath of fans on social media.

After a week of gassing up the “Battle of the Ravine” between Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, letting fans believe their grassroots effort might actually succeed, GameDay cold-shouldered the Division II classic. Instead, they’re heading to South Bend, Indiana, for a matchup between Pitt and Notre Dame. It’s an entirely safe, predictable choice that ignores the unique spirit of college football and serves up the same old Power 5 routine.

The Arkadelphia, Arkansas, community poured their hearts into getting the show to their historic rivalry game. Word on the street is that their rivalry dates back 130 years, and it is one of the unique ones in the nation. The “Battle of the Ravine” is a major local football game between two small colleges in Arkansas, Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist. They are practically neighbors, and a slight, natural dip in the ground separates their sports facilities.

The snub stings because the “Battle of the Ravine” is precisely the kind of quirky, historic rivalry that GameDay co-host Rece Davis suggested they should visit. Look, this was a missed opportunity for GameDay to prove it genuinely cares about the entire landscape of college football, not just the top tier.

By playing it safe and opting for the big names, they reinforced the idea that lower-division football is a novelty act, not worthy of the show’s main stage when a Division I option is available. The Battle of the Ravine deserved the spotlight, and GameDay took the easy way out.

College football fans called out Pat McAfee and Co. for going over their words

When ESPN GameDay put out its official announcement on social media, the college football community came together and called them out for snubbing the Battle of the Ravine.

Fans started with the obvious. “I’m going to be physically ill when they inevitably make the entire Gameday about McAfee being from Pittsburgh and not about the school hosting it.” Fortunately, this time it was not West Virginia. Game Day lately revolves more around Pat McAfee, which can be overwhelming at times. Plus, it often feels like every location turns into a McAfee segment instead of the week’s actual college football story.

One fan commented, “And they fumble the bag…….. 🙄🙄🙄”. Instead of celebrating the uniqueness of the Ravine, GameDay chose to capitalize on the Notre Dame vs. Pitt matchup. Ratings over history. Predictable over authentic.

Another fan said, “Perfect example of why folks don’t watch ESPN anymore – TV personality and his wild antics wins out over the story.” Not everyone wants to watch Pat McAfee yelling for 20 minutes. Some fans still prefer tradition and meaning over gimmicks, especially for a rivalry that embodies the purest roots of college football.

Another fan praised Arkadelphia’s effort to rally and push for the Ravine spotlight: “Disappointing. Missed a good opportunity to grow college football. Shout-out to the boys for giving it their best shot. Maybe 1 day the little guy will get a shot. Heck, the 100th is around the corner 👀” It is safe to say GameDay blew a program-changing moment for another guaranteed stale pick.

The last fan even apologized on behalf of ESPN. “They really used Battle of the Ravine for clout to make it seem like they care. Instead, they’re back to the ACC to feature one of their darlings (Notre Dame). @OuachitaTigers @ReddieSports On behalf of the sport, I’m sorry you got played like this. You guys deserve better.”

What hurts more is that Rece Davis and ESPN teased the possibility of going to Arkansas before completely pulling back and going elsewhere. And for smaller schools like this, a national window like GameDay might not return for another decade. It’s not the fairy tale story anyone had hoped for.