Fans of Hurricanes football had plenty to celebrate tonight with their 49-12 win over No. 18 USF coming as the Florida Gators floundered against the LSU Tigers. Miami fans now have plenty more to celebrate as College Gameday is coming to “The U” for the rivalry matchup between the Hurricanes and the Gators.
Announced just hours after the conclusion of Miami’s dominating win over the Bulls, ESPN’s iconic College Football traveling pregame show will, for the ninth time, make its way to Coral Gables. Miami was featured last year when the show traveled to California for the Hurricanes’ showdown against the Golden Bears, but the University of Miami hasn’t hosted since 2020, when UM took down Florida State 52-10. In 2020, though, Covid restrictions prevented the set from having its usual flair. So it will be Gameday’s first appearance on campus since 2017, for Miami’s 41-8 win over Notre Dame.
All-time, the Canes are 7-1 when they hosted Lee Corso and crew. Miami won’t see the now-retired college sports icon, but fans can still expect an electric environment when the 11-time Emmy Award-winning program arrives next weekend.
Last time the UM campus hosted, the set was placed on the Lakeside Patio, and so that’s likely where fans will have to head and catch the show. Fans can expect the festivities to begin hours before the show’s 9am start time, as people are known to line up and camp outside the set through the night before. Kickoff for the game is set for 7:30pm next Saturday, so Miami fans will still have plenty of time to get ready and get out to Hard Rock and fill up the stadium. With the Hurricanes drawing a crowd of nearly 67,000 for both the Notre Dame and USF games, this one will likely be no exception.
While Miami’s last two appearances on the program have been successful, they’re facing a Florida team desperate for a win. The Gators are currently 1-2 after dropping their matchup against LSU this week, as quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions, but rivalry games like this are never easy. Miami should expect a fight from Florida, and more importantly, they cannot get caught up in the lights, the cameras, and the action.