Once upon a time, Eugene seemed like the second home to the ESPN “College GameDay” cast and crew. About a decade ago, the sport’s premier pregame show made at least one trip, if not more, to Eugene to cover a big Oregon Ducks football game.
But it has been five years since the Ducks played a game big enough to warrant the show being on the Oregon campus. Host Rece Davis says it’s good to be back.
“It’s one of our favorite stops to come for ‘College GameDay,’ ” Davis said on Friday. “It’s been a few years since we’ve been here and you know to have (the Ducks) in the top 10, big game like this, and I love doing the show in the dark in the morning. It’s a unique setting and the Oregon fans and students always come out and support the show. So it’s great to be back. We’re looking forward to the show. Looking forward to the game on Saturday.”
That game Davis was speaking about is No. 9 Oregon hosting No. 10 UCLA in what is the Pac-12 Game of the Year thus far. Ironically, it was Chip Kelly’s Ducks teams that made “College GameDay” visit Eugene so often. Now he brings his Bruins (6-0) into Autzen Stadium for a 12:30 p.m. PT kickoff.
But the festivities will kick off way before that. GameDay comes on the air at 6 a.m. local time, and the fans will definitely be out with their signs.
“It’s really gratifying because we feel like we have a responsibility to the sport and to the show to uphold a certain standard,” Davis said. “We understand that. Yes, they’re coming here to see the show, but they’re also coming here because they’re proud of their school. And they’re proud of their team and they want to show their support. So we’re glad to be able to tap into that and to see them come out in the wee hours although you know, college kids that age can keep some unique hours. So maybe it’s not early to them. Maybe it’s just late, so either way, we’re happy.”
Co-host David Pollack, a former Georgia linebacker, has been on GameDay for the last decade, and he’s noticed the show seems to attract a different sort of crowd when they’re in Pac-12 country.
“It’s definitely different. It’s a different vibe,” he said. “I remember when I first started years and years ago, going to USC and like this (Oregon), just shows when you’re starting at 6 a.m. it’s just a different vibe. It’s not the same obviously as it would be on a lot of campuses, but I remember we get over here and the kids are already here and you know, they’ve been up all night. You know, there’s plenty of extracurriculars going on, and it’s just a different kind of crowd.”
Although coach Lee Corso wasn’t available for interviews because of a recent illness, Davis said Corso is in town and looking forward to reuniting with an old friend.
“He’s not missing this with his affinity for the Duck. He’s here to have a reunion with him,” Davis said.
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