This weekend, College GameDay will head to Austin, Texas for a massive game between Texas and Alabama. A big question for the show will be who will come on the show as their guest picker. According to Rece Davis, it isn’t always about ESPN picking who they want.
Davis went on The Paul Finebaum Show and talked about the strategy behind selecting the show’s guest picker and how it’s more of a logistical negotiation than you might suspect.
“Because it is such a high-profile thing, you are dealing with people who are really busy and sometimes you’ll have people cancel at the last minute,” said Davis, “or you’ll have people who, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to! I want to! I love the show! I’ve always wanted to… oh, I’m sorry can I do it another week?'”
Davis said it isn’t as simple as selecting a name, making a call and putting them on the guest list.
“I think people have this idea that we pick and choose from anyone we want and it often doesn’t work out that way. People have other plans,” said the GameDay host. “For instance, I don’t know if I’m supposed to divulge names or give away anything but our number one choice for guest picker this week, great friend of the show, has been an unbelievable guest picker in the past, is not in town. Can’t do it. Can’t get there.”
Finebaum then poked Davis by saying that the guest-picker this week will be the second choice. Davis retorted with a reveal of who would have been this week’s guest picker.
“I’m just saying that I don’t know if we would have used – heck, I don’t care. I’ve already done it now and you’re a friend and I love you to death. (Matthew) McConaughey, McConaughey’s always the guy, right? He’s tremendous television. He’s a great guy and he loves Texas and he loves football and he’s been so kind to us over the years. He’s not in town.”
