ESPN announced the location for Week 1 of “College GameDay” Monday. No, it is not traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, for the Badgers’ contest against Buffalo.
The show will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, for an out-of-conference showdown between North Carolina and South Carolina.
UNC is ESPN SP+’s No. 28 team in the nation entering the 2023 season, led by Heisman contender quarterback Drake Maye. South Carolina is SP+’s No. 33 team and is coming off its 8-5 2022 campaign.
Related: Big Ten team recruiting rankings – As of July 23, 2023
The game is arguably the only marquee Week 1 matchup on the schedule. Other notable contests include Ohio State at Indiana, Boise State at Washington, Virginia at Tennessee, West Virginia at Penn State and Colorado at TCU.
WE'RE COMING TO THE QUEEN CITY! 👑
See you Week 1 in Charlotte for a battle of the Carolinas 🍿@UNCFootball | @GamecockFB pic.twitter.com/OJ7J7SOM6b
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) July 24, 2023
Wisconsin has one real chance to host GameDay this season: Oct. 28 vs. Ohio State. There’s a realistic chance both teams are undefeated entering the contest, giving the game massive Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications.
Wisconsin has not hosted the show since its early season loss to Notre Dame at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021.