ESPN’s College GameDay Skips Week 0 Episode, Fans Left Disappointed

In an unexpected move, ESPN’s College GameDay did not air a live broadcast for Week 0. This was on Saturday, August 23, 2025, during the opening game in Dublin, Ireland. Despite the kickoff of the 39th season and a featured contest between No. 21 Iowa State and No. 20 Kansas State at noon ET, the show’s hosts - Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban - stayed stateside and did not present the customary on-site pregame coverage.

ESPN chose to start the morning with an early SportsCenter at 6 a.m. ET. Then, they aired College Football Kickoff at 10 a.m. ET. The decision was a break from tradition. GameDay had gone abroad for Week 0 in 2024 to cover Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Ireland. ESPN did not provide an official rationale for the change.

Social media quickly filled with fan frustration. On X, one user exclaimed, “Just found out there’s no College GameDay tomorrow morning?????? What are you doing @espn?/span>? Some people said, “This is the one thing you should take care of.” Others called the network’s choice “embarrassing” and missed GameDay insights before the season opener.

College GameDay will return on Saturday, August 30, 2025. It will air its usual remote broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, starting at 9 a.m. ET. The Week 1 episode will honor Lee Corso. This is expected to be his final appearance at the site before he retires.