As we’re now into college football season, I thought I would give you various ESPN College Gameday opens. Since this came on the air back in the 1987 season when it was first hosted by Bob Carpenter, Lee Corso and Beano Cook, the show has been in the forefront of college football, but it didn’t explode to its current rock star status until it started going on the road regularly in 1994. Current host Chris Fowler took over in 1992 with Kirk Herbstreit joining the program in 1996 when Craig James went to CBS.
To me, it’s the best pregame show on TV over any of the NFL pregame shows and nothing really comes close. I think the crowds plus Corso’s picks at the end of the program are what help to make College Gameday so fun to watch.
Luckily, someone did manage to put College Gameday’s first ever road show up on YouTube, but I can’t embed it here, so I’ll give you the link. It was at the Florida State-Notre Dame game in 1993 and notice how the show is inside, not outdoors. And here’s another segment of the program.
On October 5 1996, Lee donned his first mascot headgear at the Penn State-Ohio State game to make his pick and it’s been a tradition ever since.
On November 13, 1999 when Miami and Virginia Tech were still in the Big East, Lee Corso donned the Hokie headgear for his pick.
Let’s jump to 2003 where the start of College Gameday looks pretty much as it does today. Chris intros the site from where the show is broadcasting from, then several storylines that will be followed. This is from Baton Rouge, LA for the Georgia-LSU game.
In 2005, ESPN recruited country duo Big & Rich to alter their song, “Comin to Your City” for the College Gameday theme and Cowboy Troy is there to add his rap. To be honest, I could go without this, but this is the 4th year for this intro so who am I to complain?
Corso brought out the Hokie head again on September 24, 2005 at the Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech game.
On September 9, 2006, Brent Musberger did his famous “You are looking live…” introduction as he was in Lubbock, TX for the Ohio State-Texas game and then he threw it to Chris Fowler for rest of the open.
This is the first College Gameday not hosted by Chris Fowler. He was at the Breeders’ Cup so Rece Davis capably stepped in on November 4, 2006 to host the show at the Oklahoma-Texas A&M game.
The following week, November 11, Kirk and Corso made their picks for the Tennessee-Arkansas game.
September 29, 2007, Lee donned the Duck headgear to make Oregon fans happy.
On November 10, 2007, College Gameday went to its first Division III site for the Amherst-Williams game in Western, MA.
And later that month, Lee Corso angered Kansas fans by picking Missouri in the annual Border War.
From last wee
k, we have the very latest College Gameday open. This is just before the show’s season premiere at the Alabama-Clemson game in Atlanta.
So there you have it. Various opens and picks. I hope you enjoyed them. I have no idea what I’ll have for next week, perhaps some CBS college football videos since next Saturday is the season premiere of the SEC on CBS. It’s not definite yet.
