Washington’s College GameDay appearance was one for the ages

Before Washington beat Oregon 36-33 in October, Husky fans had an incredible showing on College GameDay.

After writing about the Washington Huskies’ incredible 36-33 victory over the Oregon Ducks in October, I couldn’t help but think about the incredible experience that proceeded that game when ESPN’s College GameDay came to campus.

Headlined by appearances from head coach Kalen DeBoer and comedians Joel McHale, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, along with the first made field goal of the season on Pat McAfee’s kicking challenge, the show itself was a hit, but it was made by the fans.

I showed up to the event just after 4:30 in the morning and it was clear that I was late, because the party had already been going for multiple hours. Students and fans had camped out through the night in order to be as close to the stage as possible while EDM blasted from the speakers on set. There was a buzz in the air after the hype between the hated rivals built for the two weeks leading up to the game.

“I’ve never been more impressed with a group of humans than I am right now,” McAfee said to the raucous crowd during a commercial break.

He wasn’t alone in that sentiment either. Multiple ESPN staff members remarked behind the scenes that their trip to Seattle was at that point in the season, by far the best environment they had experienced.

The crowd had tons of life and never lost energy. The excitement continued to build when former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas became the first ESPN personality to make an appearance, high-fiving fans and dancing with the crowd to Sheck Wes’ hit song, Mo Bamba.

As the crowd continued to accumulate for the start of the show at 6:00, the energy around the game grew with the crowd. Eventually, Red Square was completely full and you couldn’t move without walking into a group of fans decked out in purple and gold.

Then, as McHale emerged for the pregame predictions, painted purple and gold, driving the school’s helmet car and carrying a fan’s Husky that he was handed moments before stepping on set, the crowd appeared ready for gametime.

It finally exploded (and set the tone for the afternoon as fans tried to break Husky Stadium’s 133.6 decibel record) when Lee Corso, who has a long history betting on Oregon, spurned the Ducks. Instead, he donned the head of Harry the Husky much to the delight of McHale, who was so pleased with Corso’s pick that he placed a kiss on Corso’s cheek, or rather on Harry’s nose.

In the wake of athletic director Troy Dannen’s abrupt departure for Nebraska, where according to John Canzano he called Washington’s athletic department “broke” in front of some its biggest donors, it also felt like an appropriate time to look back on one of the most exciting moments from the 2023 season.

Not just because it was during Dannen’s first week on the job and it showed what kind of support is available to him or his successor in Seattle, or because that game against Oregon can be seen as a launching pad for the Huskies’ run to the national championship.

But rather because these are the moments that will live on and define Washington’s football program. Coming off that appearance in the College Football Playoff the Huskies are more than likely going to take a step back in 2024, but with Jedd Fisch at the helm and Washington moving to the Big Ten, there could be more days like this in the school’s future.