Greek Life tailgates are canceled for this week’s matchup against the University of Florida due to College GameDay coming to UM’s campus.
ESPN made the announcement that College GameDay would be covering the UF at UM football game shortly after UM dominated USF on Saturday, Sept. 13.
College GameDay is a weekly, three-hour traveling television program that reports live from a college campus during football season. They select a matchup each week based on anticipated rivalries, team rankings and the potential for a fun narrative. The broadcast begins at 9 a.m., featuring an analysis of the day’s matchup, highlights from the teams’ seasons thus far and segments on specific players.
There is live music, fan participation and special guest appearances to fire up the crowd for the game. A vital tradition of College GameDay in the past occurred when Lee Corso, an ESPN football analyst, makes his prediction of which team will win by putting on their mascot’s headgear. Corso made his last GameDay appearance on Aug. 30, 2025.
Students are highly anticipating College GameDay’s arrival at UM and all their iconic traditions.
“I am so excited College GameDay is coming to the U! I can’t wait to hear all the game predictions and see the student field goal kicking contest,” said Maya Meilander, a sophomore pre-med student.
Others have reported that they prefer the Greek Life tailgating tradition, but are glad that UM is getting recognition from the sports broadcasting program.
“I think it’s a unique experience that College GameDay is coming to campus, but personally I would rather have tailgates. I definitely think that we should be able to have both, especially since College GameDay is so early in the morning,” said junior Anna Becker. “But since it’s just for one game, I think the majority of students will really enjoy it if they don’t limit the amount of people for capacity reasons.”
With four home games left after UF, students are hoping for the return of Greek Life tailgates.
“My tailgating experience has been really good overall and I love experiencing game days from the tailgating side after being on the cheer team for two years, so I plan to attend more,” said Becker.
While many students acknowledge that attendance surges only for high-profile matchups, some see the uneven turnout as a frustration and hope to see more consistent support throughout the season.
“I wish more people went to all the games and not just the big ones,” said Meilander. “The game against Notre Dame was full of energy and having that for every game would make football at the U even more exciting.”