Skip to main content

Pac-12 Football
Central


All things Pac-12 football

ESPN's College GameDay live at UCLA for first time: What to expect if you're attending

Oct 21, 2021
ESPN Images

For the first time since 2018, ESPN's College GameDay will be airing live from a Pac-12 campus. The nation's most popular college football pregame show will be setting up shop at UCLA on Saturday to highlight its highly-anticipated home game vs. No. 10 Oregon.

As usual, Rece Davis and longtime analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard will preview the matchup and all the other happenings around college football this weekend.

It's the first time College GameDay has ever broadcasted from Westwood. UCLA hosted College GameDay in 1998—also against Oregon—but the show aired from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. So, Saturday's show is quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Bruin fans, and here is everything you need to know if you are considering attending.

Where on the UCLA campus is College GameDay being held?

At Wilson Plaza, the grassy quad between the Student Activities Center and Kaufman Hall in the heart of campus.

What time does the show air?

From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. PT on ESPN.

What time should fans arrive at the set?

The College GameDay area opens at 4:30 a.m. PT.

Where should fans park?

UCLA is encouraging fans to park at Parking Structure 8 (which requires an hourly fee). Pre-paid parking is available on the ParkMobile app.  

Are there any other perks to showing up at the set?

Every UCLA student or faculty/staff member in attendance will receive a free ticket to the game if they don't already have one. The first 1,000 fans at the set will also receive a free breakfast burrito, courtesy of Pedro Brewing Company. There will be plenty of other games and giveaways too, according to athletic director Martin Jarmond.

Will there be any high-profile guests on the show?

Bill Walton, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly and Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal to name a few. 

Are there any COVID-19 protocols?

At the Rose Bowl and the College GameDay set, proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (administered within 72 hours) will be required for all guests over the age of 12. At the game, anyone over the age of 2 is required to wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status, except when eating or drinking.

What time is kickoff?

12:30 p.m. PT with ABC broadcasting the game. Herbstreit, Chris Fowler and Holly Rowe will be on the call. 

Why is this game so important?

It could determine the Pac-12's division champions. At 2-1 in Pac-12 play, Oregon is currently tied with Oregon State atop the Pac-12 North. The Bruins—3-1 in the Pac-12—are one game behind Utah in the loss column in the Pac-12 South but the two teams still have to play each other in Salt Lake City on Oct. 30. 

Ranked No. 10 in the country, Oregon is also vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff and may need to win out to secure it.

Plus, if history is any indication of how Saturday's game will play out, it will be a thriller. When the two teams were featured on College GameDay in 1998, UCLA held off Oregon 41-38 in overtime, a win that helped catapult the Bruins to the Rose Bowl Game by season's end.