ESPN’s College Gameday coming to Tuscaloosa for Alabama-Vanderbilt matchup
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You read that correctly.
Vanderbilt football has a trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium this weekend and it’s one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend. That’s why ESPN’s College Gameday will be on site with its weekly pregame show Saturday morning.
Keep reading for what you need to know ahead of the big matchup + how you can plan your morning around ESPN’s visit.
No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama
While it may seem like stretch just by name recognition alone, every college football fan here in Alabama knows this Vanderbilt program is different than it has been in the past. The Commodores took down No. 1 Alabama last season + got a win over Auburn so they could have claimed a state championship in 2024.
But the Crimson Tide is hoping this one is different as Vanderbilt is not sneaking up on anyone at this point.
The Commodores are undefeated this season, ranked No. 16 in this week’s AP Poll and boast the fourth highest scoring offense in the country. Diego Pavia is out to prove last season was not just a fluke.
“I haven’t watched Vanderbilt yet but I have watched them on TV. I think these guys are a really good football team. Clark Lea has done a fabulous job there, obviously Diego is a really good quarterback… this is actually a little better team in my opinion, just watching them, I’m talking about all the way around defensively and all that, than what they had a year ago.”
Nick Saban at Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club
Once again, Alabama is coming off a big win of its own and climbed in the rankings. But the next three weeks don’t get much easier as the Tide takes on three straight top-20 teams, starting with Vanderbilt.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30PM on ABC.
What to know about College Gameday
This will be College Gameday’s 20th trip to Tuscaloosa for an Alabama football game but the first without the legendary Lee Corso who retired earlier this season.
While the exact details have not been released yet, the crew set up on the Quad near Denny Chimes during their visit before the Alabama-Georgia game in 2024.
There will be a fenced-in pit area for fans to stand up-close to the broadcast. That area will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you arrive early enough to make your way into the pit, you can also get the chance to be on the show for Pat McAfee’s weekly field goal competition.
The Crimson Tide is 10-9 at home when Gameday is in town, winning four of the last five including last season’s win over Georgia.
This will be just the second time Vanderbilt has been featured on Gameday with the last coming in 2008 when the Commodores defeated Auburn in Nashville.
Will you be attending or watching the College Gameday show this weekend? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
