‘College GameDay’ from JMU goes over well at JMU, perhaps unsurprisingly

For a little while, at least, ‘College GameDay’ felt like ‘College GameDay’ on Saturday.

The show emanated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where the undefeated JMU Dukes will conclude their season this week. In case you haven’t heard, JMU is in the news because the NCAA ruled that the Dukes, who transitioned from FCS to FBS, would be ineligible for the postseason. This is despite their undefeated record. They applied for a waiver to shorten the period from two years to one, but the NCAA told them no.

ESPN decided to travel to JMU anyway. The show has often been at its best when it is held on smaller campuses and at programs that don’t receive the national attention others do. It’s not necessarily the blue bloods’ fault, and it’s also not necessarily true that all big venues and environments are bad. On the contrary, it’s just that an in-your-face aspect of the ‘brand’ gets a bit too abrasive, especially in college football.

This week’s ‘GameDay‘ episode featured rave reviews on-site even with a few unusual circumstances. Kirk Herbstreit himself boasted about the environment. He proclaimed this was the ‘best and biggest crowd’ the show’s been at all season.

SCENE at JMU!
Best and biggest crowd of the year!@CollegeGameDay LIVE right now!! pic.twitter.com/xqufwqFUIH

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 18, 2023

Throughout the show, the crowd was pretty enthusiastic. This crowd has every right to be. This is as much attention as they may receive all season. Considering that, while the NCAA said if the room were available, they’d be allowed in, that this could be the last time JMU has the spotlight for college football this year, it’s best to go all out. So they made the most of it.

Now, if you’re a cynic, you might wonder why ESPN didn’t attend the ABC game in primetime tonight. Oregon State hosts Washington in a very pivotal Pac-12 tilt. Corvallis doesn’t get as much attention in the college football spectrum inside their state, let alone the nation, as you’ll often see. There’s been a lot of discomfort in the relationship between the ‘Pac-2’ and, well, everybody else, so maybe that was a factor in why ESPN decided to steer the ship away (Though, in the Pac-12’s case, you can levy nearly all of the blame to Fox, the GameDay crew’s reactions to controversies aside).

Still, you could sense that they had a blast on Saturday morning in Virginia. Viewers at home may disagree, and they’re entitled to think so. You could sense that the crowd was happy to have the shine bestowed on them.

The PFT Commenter celebrity guest picker speech leads to a shirtless Pat McAfee on College GameDay. pic.twitter.com/0Z2RzWWS3e

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 18, 2023

While a shirtless Pat McAfee and PFT Commenter closed out the show by boasting over JMU – PFT alluded to potentially declaring the Dukes as National Champions, daring the NCAA to stop him – the Dukes crowd was boisterous. For a week, it was cool that the background for college football’s most visible pregame show felt so desirable. It may not work for some.

Though, soberingly, you have to wonder how much longer this can happen.

that's usually what happens when GameDay goes to places outside of the P5.

Will this type of event still be possible in three years? https://t.co/390RSaPTIi

— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) November 18, 2023

[Kirk Herbstreit]