College GameDay Miami: Our Experience
- Allan Tompkins
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
By Mark Tanner & Allan Tompkins
ESPN’s College GameDay returned to the University of Miami on Saturday for the first time in eight years, drawing thousands of fans before sunrise as the Hurricanes’ undefeated start fueled national attention.
A combination of the hype, rarity and typical nature of the College GameDay environment led many fans to arrive at the University of Miami between three and four in the morning, committed to a long day of standing in a line for The Pit that curled around buildings.
From the beginning of the early morning, UM fans made it clear to any Florida Gator that they were far from home. Fans from UF had to go through the walk of shame toward the end of the line as boos echoed through the UM-dominated crowd. Nevertheless, the vibe and energy of the people were set very early on, despite how tired everyone was, making the rest of the day that much more exciting.
When entering The Pit, workers could be seen throwing Home Depot gloves and the traditional Home Depot helmets, which quickly ran out of stock and only added to the lively atmosphere. As soon as we got our spot inside The Pit, we felt the energy radiating and felt instantly gratified from the long and tedious three-hour wait.
Fans were packed shoulder to shoulder, chanting and waving signs that mostly consisted of insults toward UF and especially emphasizing UF quarterback DJ Lagway's five interceptions which had been thrown against LSU in Week 3. The Pit filled quickly, and soon enough, we were making friends with the people next to u,s who helped us slowly inch our way closer to the front of the crowd.
First of the announcers to come out was Desmond Howard, who began the broadcast and gave everyone an idea of how the rest of the day was going to look. Soon after came analyst Kirk Herbstreit, host Rece Davis and new analyst Nick Saban, whom the crowd went wild for. Yet, the man everyone was most excited to see was the one and only Pat McAfee, who most certainly lived up to all of the hype through his sheer amount of energy that even surpassed that of the crowd.
Throughout the day, ESPN made sure to keep people entertained through competitions such as dance battles and costume competitions between fans of UM and UF. While the analysis portion of GameDay was fun to see live, the extreme heat and extended period of time without any water built intense anticipation for the segment everyone wanted to see: Pat McAfee's Kicking Contest
A UM student from Maine was chosen and he ended up having his friend kick for him. McAfee wagered a lofty $500,000 if the student made the kick, yet he completely sent the first one far left, bouncing off a building and leaving many people disappointed. However, McAfee decided to give him a second chance "for the boys" and, while more accurately kicked, the student ultimately missed.
Could you make the kick?
Absolutely
Probably not
Absolutely not
After the kick, all that was left for GameDay were the picks that were to be made by each analyst, plus special guest and Florida Panther right winger Matthew Tkachuk. Herbstreit, Davis, Howard, Saban and Tkachuk all chose UM to defeat UF while Pat McAfee chose a different approach to how he'd deliver his pick. Throughout the entirety of College GameDay, McAfee was eyeing the nearby UM diving boards that led into a refreshing pool.
Once it came to his choice, McAfee, who, by the end of the show, was sweating through his suit, got up from his chair and began walking over to the diving boards, climbing ladders to the top board while discussing Miami. While everyone was unsure who he would pick due to his tendency to go against the popular opinion, he cleared everything up once he stood on the edge of the diving board, stripped down to his underwear and said, "The U is back," jumping off the board and pencil diving into the pool.
Ultimately, College GameDay at Miami was one to remember. From the early morning line-waiting to the climactic concluding dive, there never seemed to be a dull moment, which made the day that much better. While GameDay hadn't come to Miami since 2017, UM’s current record of 4-0 is promising for a strong rest of the season, which may just be enough for the broadcast's return in the near future.