ESPN GameDay Set For Tide-Lions

ESPN announced Sunday that its College GameDay will originate from Tuscaloosa this Saturday for the Alabama-Penn State game. Although the Crimson Tide have made seven appearances on College GameDay over the last two years, this will be GameDay’s first trip to UA since the 2007 game against Georgia.

Although Alabama once had a terrible record in games in which the GameDay program was broadcast from the site, the Crimson Tide has won six of its last seven games in those circumstances and has an overall record of 9-8

As it was in the 2007 game, the stage will be located next to the Walk of Champions just outside the north entrance of Bryant-Denny Stadium for Saturday morning’s show.

The popular television show expanded to three hours this year and now begins on ESPNU at 8 a.m. (Central) and continues on ESPN from 9-11 a.m. every Saturday.

Erin Andrews will anchor several segments of the first hour on ESPNU and contribute reports, interviews and features during the ESPN portion of the two-time Emmy Award-winning program.

Chris Fowler hosts the next two hours on ESPN and is joined by analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. College GameDay is entering its 24th season and the 18th consecutive year of originating from the site of one of the day’s best games or a game with the most compelling storyline.

In addition, College GameDay on the ESPN Radio Newtork will originate from Tuscaloosa on Saturday with live coverage from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Central). Hosted by Ryen Russillo, Trevor Matich and Brad Edwards, the show’s stage will be set up on the Quad on the campus of The University of Alabama.

The game will mark Alabama's 18th television appearance on ESPN College GameDay and its ninth appearance under head coach Nick Saban. It will be GameDay’s sixth trip to Tuscaloosa overall and the ninth time that Alabama has hosted GameDay (three times in Birmingham).

GameDay’s last appearance in Tuscaloosa was Sept. 22, 2007, for UA’s showdown with No. 22 Georgia. Since that time, Alabama has appeared on GameDay seven other times, all away from Bryant-Denny Stadium, posting a 6-1 record in those contests. The nine appearances in the Saban era tie Florida for the most GameDay appearances since the 2007 season.

The Crimson Tide appeared four times in 2008 against Clemson, Georgia, LSU and Florida. The Tide then made three appearances during the 2009 season - against Virginia Tech and Florida in Atlanta, and Texas for the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.