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The final CFP brackets are out & the top 12 are gearing up for another playoff sprint. Like last year, ESPN and TNT will serve as the home of the extended postseason run. While College GameDay stops are yet to be finalized, ESPN analyst Stanford Steve reportedly revealed their GameDay destination.

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On the Dec. 7 episode of ESPN’s SVPod, GameDay crew member Stanford Steve revealed that they will have double duties for this year’s CFP first-round games.

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“Yeah, I’m going to guess we’re going to double-dip again for game day,” said Steve on College GameDay. “Alabama at Oklahoma is going to be the Friday night game, the 19th. Miami-A&M is going to be the noon game on Saturday, the 20th. TNT will get two Tulane-Miss and James Madison at Oregon.”

That means Pat McAfee & ESPN’s College GameDay may have their first stop at Norman on Friday night, December 19, to host the pre-show for No. 9 Alabama visiting No. 8 Oklahoma. The next day, they could be at College Station to cover the noon game of No. 10 Miami visiting No. 7 Texas A&M.

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Whereas, TNT’s crew will head to Oxford to cover No. 11 Tulane visiting No. 6 Ole Miss on Dec. 20, and they’ll have their second stop the same night at Eugene, to cover No. 12 James Madison visiting No.5 Oregon

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This is not the first time ESPN’s College GameDay crew will be having dual duties for the CFP games. Last year, they experienced the same double dip, visiting South Bend for the Indiana at Notre Dame game on December 20 and heading to Columbus the next day to cover the matchup between Tennessee and Ohio State in the first round. Last season, the inaugural CFP First Round drew an average of 10.6 million viewers across ESPN networks and TNT Sports, and this year is expected to set a new record.

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College GameDay got called out for its Championship game location

Last Saturday presented an interesting dilemma for ESPN’s College GameDay. Alabama and Georgia played the afternoon slot for the SEC Championship game. On the same day, Ohio State and Indiana also met for the Big Ten Championship in the evening slot.

However, instead of taking the show to the matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams of the country in Indiana, College GameDay went to Atlanta, Georgia, to cover the SEC game. Rankings-wise, No. 9 Alabama going against No. 3 Georgia paled in comparison to the Big Ten battle. Despite that, the show didn’t travel to cover the game.

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A possible reason could be that ESPN broadcasts all the SEC games, while FOX is the host broadcaster for the Big Ten conference. That’s why the Big Noon Kickoff was seen in Indiana. Moreover, the SEC Championship game historically carries more weight. It’s another thing that the game turned out to be a dead rubber as the Bulldogs demolished the Tide. On the other hand, the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes fought a competitive game, which went down to the wire.

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Akash D

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Akash covers college football at EssentiallySports, living every GameDay moment from kickoff to the final whistle. After starting his career in combat sports journalism, he shifted to the gridiron in 2024, bringing the same passion and storytelling flair to America’s biggest Saturdays. Whether it’s breaking down heated rivalries, spotlighting breakout players, or capturing the energy of the stands, Akash delivers stories that put fans right at the heart of college football.

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