Different isn’t bad. Different is just different. And College GameDay has become different.
I’m not a Pat McAfee hater, so I won’t pin the different feel and vibe on him. I don’t think the difference in College GameDay rests with him. But fans of the sport grew to love the show because it exuded the same passion they held. It objectively is not that show any longer.
The Saturday morning staple rose to prominence without an attitude of superiority. While it was absolutely the college football show of record, it never presented itself as such. The program never took itself too seriously and never utilized its wide reach for anything other than promoting the thing we loved.
College GameDay, for a very long time, represented the best of ESPN. While people slowly drifted away from The Worldwide Leader, even the most casual fan tuned into GameDay.
Now? I can’t hardly recognize the venerable program.
Rece Davis still does a wonderful job navigating the show through its fast-paced segments. Kirk Herbstreit is still the gold standard of both game and studio analysts.
However, the show has been lapped by Big Noon Kickoff in the analyst department. Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy the year after I was born, and I had my second colonoscopy done a few weeks ago. Herbstreit played college football during Bill Clinton’s first term. Lee Corso’s final season as a college coach came the year before Microsoft Windows was created. Pat McAfee, while youthful compared to his colleagues, was still just a punter in college.
So, I find it increasingly difficult to view the analysts on the show as relatable. Especially as Howard has drifted off into the “look at the whacky shit I’m willing to say to get your attention!” phase of his career. He’s basically playing the role of a skinny Mark May at this point, and that should never be taken as a compliment.
Meanwhile, McAfee’s somewhat notorious chip-on-his-shoulder attitude has begun to rub off on the rest of the crew. In the past, if a coach had a bone to pick with the show — like Washington State’s Jake Dickert did earlier this year after Corso said the Cougars’ game with Oregon State was the “nobody wants us bowl” — the show would have laughed it off or made some tongue in cheek, self-deprecating joke. Instead, McAfee vehemently defended the program in a way that simply missed the mark for what made the show great in the first place.
49% of respondents to a recent poll from The Athletic claimed they did not like McAfee on GameDay. I don’t think that’s fair. He brings much-needed energy and provides a modern take on the game. Conversely, I understand the sentiment. McAfee’s “look at me” approach can wear thin on some viewers, but overall, I think his positives outweigh the negatives.
Dickert’s gripe was legitimate, in my opinion. College GameDay should exist to legitimize the sport and its programs. Not tear them down.
Additionally, what once was a mainstay of the program is virtually non-existent now: storytelling. GameDay took immense pride in telling the untold stories of college football. And not just Power 5 stories. Stories of personal and professional hardships, stories of those affected by natural disasters, and how the sport can bring communities together. ESPN sat idle as its stalwart reporter Tom Rinaldi moved to FOX Sports.
Meanwhile, Gene Wojciechowski, who also filed numerous riveting reports for the show, was laid off as part of ESPN’s cost-cutting measures earlier this year, as was analyst David Pollack.
Lastly, I don’t know how or why the network made the decision to change the opening theme song after 16 years, but “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, right?
Different isn’t bad. It’s just different. But right now, I don’t know if College GameDay is bad or just different. But for someone who isn’t afraid of different, I’m leaning toward bad, and I don’t like it. I realize that widespread changes aren’t going to take place the first Saturday in November, but I hope the absolute institution that is GameDay can replicate its former glory in 2024 because right now, it’s a shell of itself.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
I don’t watch College Game day anymore because of the changes that were made this year. Get ride of Mc after and replace with a defensive player.
I used to watch GameDay religiously every Saturday starting at 6am on the West coast. ESPN is a business that made a choice to fire in order to make more money off of McAfee. I’m making the choice to not watch any more.
I can’t stand the loud mouth…all he is…is a distraction to himself and I don’t watch GD anymore…too bad, because it was a fun show. Get rid of the mouth and maybe I’ll come back!
Don’t watch anymore because of McAfee. That screaming and yelling got old fast. And a why is a wrestler on a football program. He was a punter….
Yes , macafee has destroyed gameday Its not the same he hogs air time . What happen to all the side stories the focus on football teams
Garrett, your article was dead on! Great read…
I was a faithful Gameday watcher from start to finish, but I stopped watching last season. McAfee simply isn’t fun to watch. Corso, while once entertaining, should’ve been put out of his misery long ago. Desmond should’ve been the one let go rather than David Pollack. But we know ESPN is too woke to do the right thing. My guess is that ESPN has no intention of fixing anything here and they’ll continue to lose viewers because of it.
Pollack was a great analyst and brought rational energy to the show. To replace him with over the top look at me McAfee was a mistake. They have lost their long time viewers trying to chase a younger market (who aren’t slaves to old technology like television).
You got rid of Pollack and the Bear, and added PM. Also Desmond needs to go. Lastly it has been too Big 10 oriented. I am a Georgia fan, and I much prefer SEC Nation, because they talk about the area of the Country I am most interested in. Plus they have a better song
The show was quintessential for college football fans. Now, it’s just for McAfee fans and I am not one. I tried but I couldn’t take it. I quit watching Gameday. Shame too, I loved that show.
Disney! They are the culprit that has ruined the show. Since they purchased ESPN, they have pushed their woke agenda, on the company, along with the BS cost cutting measures to make room for a so-so ball player, that had a large fan base from his pod cast. Then you mix in coach, who’s still trying his best to get over his stroke and Desmond, who sounds like he’s had a stroke and brings nothing to the conversations. Mix in a know it all punter who caters to each crowd he’s in and it turns into a total disaster.
I totally agree with you! I miss the opening song and feel-good stories the most!
Can’t stand McAfee
Getting rid of David Pollack was completely off the mark. David and Kirk made this show what it is. The rest is stuffing. I cannot wait until David goes to Fox and buries ESPN’s joke.
Totally disagree with this article. P-Mc is what’s wrong with the show, and Big Noon Kickoff isn’t that great. I’m to the point where I don’t watch either one. I tune in just the last 10 mins.
I totally miss the old opening song, the new one is now the same. And David Pollack should have stayed
Gameday might be bad but to say Howard, Herbstreit, and Corso aren’t good in the analyst department because there old? So you have a problem McAfee do you have a problem with Ingram? Because he’s just like McAfee Loud too
I really don’t care for McAfee but I stopped watching a couple of years ago when Howard could not keep him mouth shut concerning Ohio State. What annoying remarks. I really liked Pollack and was stunned when he was dumped and Howard stayed. I won’t ever watch this again.