ESPN’s College GameDay threw down the challenge, and the Iowa Hawkeyes answered in style. Beat Michigan, and the show would return to Iowa City for the first time in 20 years. The Hawkeyes took that personally, delivering the win and sending Pat McAfee and the crew back to town.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
College GameDay announced that its Week 5 location will be Iowa City, which is set to host a crucial Big Ten matchup between Iowa and Ohio State. But as McAfee heads to Iowa, he’s also revisiting memories from his Barstool days hosting a weekly college football show.
“Can’t wait to experience Kinnick Stadium, and it’s going to be a lot of fun on Saturday. I can’t wait. Yeah, we are pumped to get over there. I had a chance to experience GameDay when we were doing the Barstool tailgate show. Took the train in, did the show live from a house—no service with the amount of humans everywhere. No sound either. Well, there was no sound on that particular show,” said Pat McAfee on his show.
McAfee was referring to his time hosting The Barstool Tailgate Show LIVE alongside Dave Portnoy. The game in question was the September 2017 clash between Penn State and Iowa, where the Nittany Lions edged out a 21–19 victory. With 66,205 fans packed into the stadium, the atmosphere was electric, and every moment had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
According to McAfee, the sheer number of fans at the stadium was so overwhelming that cellular service and audio connectivity suffered during the broadcast. Now, nearly 20 years later, ESPN is returning to Iowa City, where Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit last hosted College GameDay in 2006 ahead of Iowa’s clash with top-ranked Ohio State.
Corso famously picked the Hawkeyes while donning Herky’s headgear, but Troy Smith and the Buckeyes spoiled the occasion with a commanding 38–17 victory.
Interestingly, history presents Iowa with a familiar challenge this time around, as they prepare to face the Ohio State Buckeyes once again. Coincidence or not, the Hawkeyes now have an opportunity to settle the score and avenge their 2006 defeat.
The 2006 showdown between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes was a memorable night for both ESPN and the two programs. More importantly, it marked a historic moment for Kinnick Stadium, hosting its first true night game since Iowa’s 1992 clash with Miami.
The excitement extended well beyond Saturday’s game, as ESPN’s College GameDay drew an impressive crowd to Hubbard Park. More than 5,000 fans gathered for Friday’s broadcast, while Saturday’s turnout reportedly surpassed 12,000.
An ESPN staff member even described Friday’s gathering as a record-setting crowd for the show’s Friday-night broadcasts at the time. Meanwhile, inside Kinnick Stadium, 70,585 spectators witnessed the Hawkeyes take on the top-ranked Buckeyes.
This time, ESPN’s College GameDay will set up shop at the Pentacrest this Saturday, bringing the pregame buzz ahead of Iowa’s showdown with No. 5 Ohio State. The broadcast is scheduled for 8–11 a.m. on ESPN.
Caitlin Clark, Seth Rollins, Jason Momoa, Shawn Johnson East, Hailey Whitters, Dallas Clark, Kurt Warner, Lisa Bluder, and Ashton Kutcher are currently in the running to serve as guest pickers for the event. However, nothing has been officially confirmed yet.