Can FSU football get multiple home 2018 College GameDay appearances?
By Jason Parker
FSU football has been such gracious hosts for the hit ESPN pre game show 11 times in the last quarter century – can more trips be added in 2018?
Every Saturday during the college football season, FSU football fans and fans of almost every program turn their televisions over the College GameDay, the three hour showcase that has become synonymous with the sport – in part because of the antics of former Seminoles star and noted headgear wearer, Lee Corso.
Since the show hit the road for the first time during the 1993 season – when the Seminoles played Notre Dame on the road in what was the latest edition of the “Game of the Century” between teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 – the Noles have been one of the featured teams 34 times, with 11 of those coming at Doak Campbell Stadium.
While FSU football has been the featured team at least once the last two seasons – losses to Alabama in 2017 and Louisville in 2016 – the Seminoles haven’t hosted a game since 2014 when they hosted twice in the season during wins over Clemson and Notre Dame.
With the Tigers coming to town again this season, all eyes of the college football world will be on Tallahassee if both teams are still in the running for the ACC Atlantic crown. So could ESPN bring their traveling show to town not more than one game? The Spun, a sports website, predicted where College GameDay would go each game this season – and has the Noles hosting twice.
"Week 1 – Virginia Tech at Florida StateLast season, we got double College GameDay for Week 1, with episodes ahead of the Saturday slate, and the Monday night game. Assuming we get the same again, GameDay will be on hand for Willie Taggart’s first game at Florida State against Virginia Tech.Week 9 – Clemson at Florida StateWillie Taggart draws Clemson at home in his first year, with the chance to land a huge signature home win. If FSU gets off to a hot start, the atmosphere in Tallahassee will be fantastic."
Arguably, these are the two best games on the home slate this season for FSU football – yes, Florida means more for rivalry reasons but until they prove they are better than 4-7, it doesn’t mean as much for other things. It’s all up to the Seminoles if they want to be a featured team by the way they play this season.
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With the Hokies and Seminoles being the only game that day, you can see the show coming to town. As for Week 9, the Tigers and Noles is one of the featured games and might have to compete with other contests like Florida-Georgia, Penn State-Iowa and Texas-Oklahoma State…so if the Tigers and Noles are both fighting for the ACC, you can bet the show will be back.