College GameDay makes season first as fans split over controversial decision

As the opening round of the College Football Playoff approaches, ESPN’s College GameDay revealed where it will be heading for the weekend.

For the first time this season, the show will visit two different campuses in a single weekend.

The College GameDay crew will kick off the first weekend of the College Football Playoff on Friday, December 19, in Norman, Oklahoma, ahead of the first-round SEC rematch between No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma.

The Crimson Tide visited Memorial Stadium a month ago and lost to the Sooners 23-21.

ESPN’s popular pregame show will turn around quickly the next day and head to College Station, Texas, on Saturday, December 20, for No. 10 Miami’s matchup against No. 7 Texas A&M.

For those keeping track, the sport’s flagship show will be visiting two SEC campuses this weekend, which has naturally sparked debate online.

“Shocker! Then they will say, ‘Look at the ratings! The SEC deserved 6 more spots,” one fan sarcastically posted on X.

“Your network is biased and corrupt,” another fan commented.

“Oh yeah. ESPN is 1000 per cent showing their true colors to everyone,” one more fan added.

The other two opening-round games feature No. 6 Ole Miss hosting No. 11 Tulane in the Saturday afternoon window, and No. 12 James Madison visiting No. 5 Oregon in the night game.

So while some may cry “SEC bias,” three of the four opening-round playoff games are hosted by SEC schools. The fourth game, meanwhile, takes place in the Pacific Northwest. Options weren’t exactly plentiful.

Besides, odds are the two campuses College GameDay is visiting will produce two of the most entertaining games of the weekend.

Getty

Getty

No offense to Tulane or JMU.

The Alabama and Oklahoma rematch isn’t the only rematch of the season we’re getting in the postseason either.

Tulane traveled to Oxford, Mississippi to play the Rebels in September and got waxed 45-10.

I think everyone is okay if GameDay didn’t go there.

Meanwhile, Oregon is nearly a three touchdown favorite (-20.5) against JMU, so that should tell you all you need to know.

ESPN made the right call on where to send its show.

Regardless of the online debate, Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, and Kirk Herbstreit will need their coffee. They’ve got a long couple of days ahead of them.