BLOOMINGTON – Rece Davis has agreed to voluntarily add a “big asterisk” to ESPN GameDay’s inaugural trip to Bloomington seven years ago, stating that the entire Saturday program will provide even more unforgettable memories this time. In 2017, for Tom Allen’s first game as head coach, Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and the GameDay team travelled to town for the Hoosiers’ Thursday night debut.
IU led at the half against Ohio State, then ranked number two, but ultimately lost 49–21. There were no spectators gathered around an in-stadium set, and there was no guest picker, making it a much smaller version of ESPN’s famous Saturday morning spectacle that precedes college football Saturday.
GameDay’s long-time on-stage host, Davis, stated, “I’m excited to be among the Indiana fans.” When we visited the stadium in 2017, it was a fantastic evening with lots of excitement. However, starting the football day with our complete footprint of the show and the entire three hours is a little different.
Not being careless
Countdown to GameDay will start at 8:30 a.m. and run live from Memorial Stadium’s south lawn. The complete broadcast will start 30 minutes later. This includes all of the characters, including many of the donors who have deep connections to Indiana.
Corso spent ten years as an Indiana coach, from 1972 to 1981. Pat McAfee, a former punter for the Colts, currently resides in Indianapolis. From 2007 to 2010, Curt Cignetti of IU served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for former Alabama coach Nick Saban. The guest picker will be Kyle Schwarber, a 2016 World Series champion with the Cubs and an All-American during his time playing baseball for IU.
When taken as a whole, GameDay’s on-set crew can provide a wealth of information about what has made Cignetti so successful thus far during his time at Indiana and what that success means for IU supporters. “I’ve used the adjective ‘crisp,'” Davis said of Indiana. “They carry out.” They’re not careless. Confusion does not exist.
Students had already set up campouts on Friday with the intention of spending the night close to the GameDay set so they could get there as soon as the pit area opened at 6:30 a.m. As was the case with Cal earlier this season, GameDay presenters and producers have frequently mentioned how much they enjoy seeing universities that have not yet hosted the program.
Ahead of Saturday, Davis observes a similar level of intensity. People will undoubtedly camp out and be boisterous and enthusiastic when you start it early in the morning. That really has an invigorating quality,” Davis remarked. “It has an energy of a different kind.”
Saturday will mark a particularly emotional homecoming for Corso, whose 1979 Holiday Bowl team — the first in IU history to win a bowl game — already in town for a planned reunion. GameDay is planning some special moments to honor Corso and his team Saturday, and keeping them close to the vest until its reveal time.
Davis thinks that fans will remember Bloomington’s first full GameDay visit for a variety of reasons. “I think our opening act tomorrow is going to be really special,” Davis remarked. “I won’t reveal it, but I believe it will be unique for both those attending the performance and those watching on television.”