It’s not even college football season, but over the last couple of weeks, ESPN has been sending out college basketball announcements like there’s no tomorrow. I will eventually catch up on these press releases after the Olympics. But I did want to get this out to you.
This is the announcement of the sites for College GameDay’s basketball show this upcoming season. The visits will begin in Indianapolis for Gonzaga-Butler on January 19 and end on March 9 when the show will be at two sites, Washington, DC and Chapel Hill, NC for two big annual rivalry games, Syracuse-Georgetown and Duke-North Carolina.
Rece Davis will host and will be joined by Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps and new addition Jalen Rose. Here’s the schedule for College GameDay, the basketball edition.
Sites Named for 2013 College GameDay Schedule
Saturday Primetime Games Highlight Selected Sites
ESPN’s College GameDay – the eight-week Saturday morning and evening college basketball studio program originating from the site of ESPN’s Saturday Primetime telecast – returns for its ninth season beginning Saturday, Jan. 19 from the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis. The first hour begins at 10 a.m. ET on ESPNU, continuing at 11 a.m. on ESPN with a one-hour edition at 8 p.m. on ESPN (except Jan. 26). The Primetime game-of-the-week series will generally air at 9 p.m. (exceptions noted below).
New to the schedule this year is a split site for the eighth and final week on March 9. College GameDay will begin the morning at 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C., at the site of the Syracuse at Georgetown game (noon, ESPN). The crew will then travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the evening show at 8 p.m., prior to the start of the Duke at North Carolina matchup (9 p.m., ESPN).
For the second straight year, a “flex pick” option is on the schedule for the Feb. 9. College GameDay will stop at a BIG EAST campus – either South Bend, Ind. for the Louisville at Notre Dame game or Cincinnati for the Pittsburgh at Cincinnati matchup. The game selected will be part of the Saturday Primetime schedule, while the other game will air at 6 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2.
Also new this season, Jalen Rose joins the College GameDay crew, replacing Hubert Davis behind the desk. Rose will be a featured analyst on GameDay, as well as additional college basketball studio programming and games. Rose has been ESPN NBA analyst, primarily as part of the network’s studio coverage since 2007, and will continue NBA studio analysis during the Playoffs.
For the ninth year, Rece Davis will serve as host for College GameDay, and will be joined by analysts Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps and Rose to preview all the day’s action and discuss the biggest storylines in college basketball.
Highlights:
- Four of the eight sites GameDay visits in 2013 will be first-time hosts: Butler, NC State, Georgetown and Cincinnati (possible flex pick)
- Fifteen schools on the Saturday Primetime schedule are top 25 picks in ESPN.com’s men’s preseason top 25 poll: No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Kansas, No. 5 Michigan, No. 6 NC State, No. 7 UCLA, No. 10 Syracuse, No. 13 North Carolina, No. 15 Duke, No. 17 Arizona, No. 19 Notre Dame, No. 20 Gonzaga, No. 21 Texas and No. 24 Missouri, plus the addition of sleeper teams Butler, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati
- GameDay returns to Rupp Arena on Feb. 23, home to the show’s largest crowd at 22,144 fans on Feb. 10, 2010, for a showdown between SEC foes – No. 3 Kentucky and No. 24 Missouri
- GameDay will be making a record fifth stop on the campus of Kansas on Feb. 16 and North Carolina will be playing in a game at a GameDay site for a record 10th time with its two appearances in 2013 – Jan. 26 and March 9
- Indiana (Feb. 2) and UCLA (March 2) will both be hosting GameDay for only the second time and the first since 2008
Scheduled sites for College GameDay and Saturday Primetime:
Date GameDay Site Show Times (ET) Game Game Time (ET) Jan 19 Indianapolis, Ind. 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 20 Gonzaga at Butler 9 p.m. Jan 26 Raleigh, N.C. 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.* No. 13 North Carolina at No. 6 NC State 7 p.m. Feb 2 Bloomington, Ind. 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 5 Michigan at No. 1 Indiana 9 p.m. Feb 9 South Bend, Ind. or Cincinnati, Ohio^ 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 2 Louisville at No. 19 Notre Dame or Pittsburgh at Cincinnati 9 p.m.# Feb 16 Lawrence, Kan. 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 21 Texas at No. 4 Kansas 9 p.m. Feb 23 Lexington, Ky. 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 24 Missouri at No. 3 Kentucky 9 p.m. Mar 2 Westwood, Calif. 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 17 Arizona at No. 7 UCLA 9 p.m. Mar 9 Washington, D.C. & Chapel Hill, N.C. 10 a.m. & 8 p.m. No. 10 Syracuse at Georgetown & No. 15 Duke at No. 13 North Carolina Noon
9 p.m.* – ESPN will televise the evening edition each week at 8 p.m., except Jan. 26 when the evening show will begin at 6 p.m.
^ – Site for Feb. 9 will be announced closer to the game
# – Game not selected will air at 6 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
That will do it.
