Downtown Brookings nor Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium will be the backdrop for a national television audience of college football fans on Saturday morning.
ESPN’s College GameDay will originate from College Green on the South Dakota State University campus Saturday morning. The “premier” college football pre-game show airs live from 8 until 11 a.m.Representatives from the show were in Brookings Monday scouting sites, according to the Argus Leader’s Matt Zimmer, who also reported Monday that ESPN trucks were already headed towards Brookings and expected to arrive Wednesday. Construction of the set will take place Thursday. The Gameday crew will also broadcast live from Brookings on Friday as part of College Football Live.
College Green, a large space of grass with SDSU’s famous bell tower piercing the sky in the distance, is located north and east of the Coughlin Campanile in the southwest quadrant of campus.
On its two ventures to Fargo to spotlight North Dakota State, College Gameday originated from downtown Fargo. The only other FCS program to host the show, James Madison, used a similar green space with campus building views during both Gameday trips to the Virginia school.
On recent nearby trips to Iowa State and Nebraska, the show originated just outside the schools’ football stadiums.
In addition to College GameDay, Friday’s episode of College Football Live will be broadcast from the Campus Green location. That show will be taped from 2-2:30 p.m. Central and will air on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN will also have activations, lawn games and giveaways at College Green, with fans encouraged to visit the area throughout the day. No admission will be charged for any College GameDay activities.
Further details will be announced as they become available.
For fun and thorough previews of the big game all week, tune in to KWSN’s “Sports Talk with Craig & John” from 3 to 6 p.m. every weekday.
Tuesday’s talk features guests who cover both SDSU – Zimmer at 4:20 – and NDSU – Mike McFeely of the Fargo Forum at 5:00.
To hear Monday’s interview with SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier, CLICK HERE.
