Updated Friday, September 4, 2026. This page is refreshed every week with the new location.
College GameDay opens its 40th season in Baton Rouge on Saturday, September 5, ahead of Clemson at No. 11 LSU. The show airs from 9 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN and ESPNU, and it is the 500th road broadcast in GameDay history.
| Location | LSU campus, Baton Rouge, LA |
| Show time | 9 a.m. to noon ET (8 to 11 a.m. local) |
| TV | ESPN and ESPNU |
| Streaming | ESPN app, plus any live TV service with ESPN (Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream) |
| Featured game | Clemson at No. 11 LSU, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC |
| Guest picker | Lainey Wilson, per ESPN |
| Crew | Rece Davis with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban at the desk; Pete Thamel, Jen Lada and Jess Sims reporting |
Why Baton Rouge
ESPN picked Clemson at LSU over Boise State at Oregon and Baylor vs. Auburn for the season opener, and the reasons are obvious. It is Lane Kiffin’s first game as LSU’s head coach, an SEC vs. ACC rematch of last year’s opener that LSU won 17-10 in Death Valley, and it comes two days after a Louisiana judge cleared former NFL players Daequan Wright and Trey Harris to suit up for the Tigers over the SEC’s objection. There is no bigger story in college football this week, and GameDay is parked in the middle of it.
This is the show’s 15th visit to LSU’s campus and its 500th road broadcast since it started traveling in 1993. Ohio State has hosted more than any other school, 26 times entering this season.
Where GameDay Goes Next
| Week | Date | Location | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept 5 | Baton Rouge, LA | Clemson at LSU |
| 2 | Sept 12 | Austin, TX | Ohio State at Texas |
| 3+ | TBA | Announced each Saturday night or Sunday | — |
ESPN typically announces the next stop during or just after the Saturday show. We update this page as soon as it is official.
Big Noon Kickoff Is Somewhere Else
FOX’s pregame show is in Bloomington for North Texas at Indiana, the reigning national champion’s opener, from 10 a.m. ET. Details are on our Big Noon Kickoff location page.
The Bottom Line
College GameDay is at LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday, September 5, from 9 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN and ESPNU, ahead of Clemson at LSU at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Next week it heads to Austin for Ohio State at Texas. For the full day’s slate, see our Saturday schedule.