App State’s stunning win against top-10 team draws ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ to Boone
.JPG "Defensive back Kaleb Dawson (1) waves the Appalachian State University flag inside Kyle Field after the Mountaineers upset No. 6 Texas A&M 17-14 on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in College Station, Texas.")
Appalachian State will continue its celebration of a season off to a hot start when ESPN’s flagship college football show, “College GameDay,” broadcasts from Boone this weekend.
ESPN announced the visit just hours after the Mountaineers’ upset victory of then-No. 6 Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas — App State’s first win against a top-10 opponent since the famous 2007 Michigan game.
It’s the first time “College GameDay” will visit Boone and its first broadcast from North Carolina since September 2021, when the GameDay crew came to Charlotte for the Clemson-Georgia game.
“This is what we’ve been working for since we made the transition to FBS,” App State athletics director Doug Gillin said in a statement. “This is a special opportunity to showcase our university, community and football program to a national audience.”
App State moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, previously known as Division I, in 2014.
The Mountaineers’ football program shared video on social media of the team finding out about the show’s visit while still on the ground in Texas.
“This is because of you guys ... And the best is to come,” head coach Shawn Clark tells his players in the video.
The team heard the news, Clark said, while dealing with travel delays in Texas.
“We’re very excited about (“GameDay”), but we have our task at hand right now as we open conference play,” Clark said during his news conference Monday. “Our goal was not to beat Texas A&M. Our goal is to win the Sun Belt championship.”
Clark called the opportunity to show off Boone and the culture in the App State program “exciting” and “special.”
“We’re gonna enjoy the moment we have, but again, it goes back to getting ready for Troy.”
“College Gameday” is hosted by ESPN anchor Rece Davis and analysts Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and David Pollack.
The show also typically features a “guest picker” — often a celebrity with a connection to the host school — who helps the hosts make predictions about the day’s slate of college football games.
Country music star Kane Brown, who grew up in Georgia, was the guest picker in Charlotte last year.
Details have not yet been released about the guest picker or where the show will broadcast from in Boone.
Saturday’s game, the Mountaineers’ Sun Belt Conference opener against Troy, is slated to kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The game, which the App State said Monday is sold out, will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
Tickets for reserved seating are sold out.
“College GameDay” airs on both ESPN and ESPNU starting at 9 a.m.
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 12:01 PM.
