Categories: Arizona StateArticleFootball

Dear ESPN, Tempe deserves College GameDay

(Photo: ASU Athletics)

Dear ESPN,

When you bring College GameDay to a city, there’s no doubt that you bring with it a party. With the goal of finding a sea of sign-carrying fans with energy through the roof, its not too surprising that the Southeast has been the home of most GameDay shows so far in 2014.

If Arizona State is made the host of the show on Nov. 8 though, it would undoubtedly give you all of those fans and all of that energy. I need no further proof than the ASU Snapchat story, and perhaps an Exhibit B of Camp Fargo.

With No. 10 Notre Dame coming to Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday for a game that could very well have College Football Playoff implications, Camp Fargo has likely already opened camp. In fact, ASU students probably pitched tents for the game sometime between the 36-yard game-winner from Zane Gonzalez and the team’s jog to the locker room.

There’s a storm of football passion brewing around this Todd Graham-led team, and College Gameday has the chance to broadcast it to the nation.

After all, isn’t it about time you came to the West Coast anyway, ESPN?

College GameDay has traditionally spread its trips out around the nation, but in the last seven weeks it has made two trips to Mississippi, one to South Carolina, one to Louisiana, one to West Virginia and two for Florida State games in Tallahassee, Fla.

Even before that, the first three weeks of the year were trips to Arlington, Texas, Eugene, Ore. and Fargo, ND. The over 1,000 miles between Tempe and Arlington was the closest College GameDay has come to the Southwest.

The beautiful Southwest, which has a forecast for Saturday of a sunny, 86-degree day. I suppose a trip to East Lansing, Mich. for a game between No. 8 Michigan State and No. 16 Ohio State also makes sense, but who wants to sit in 39 degrees with a 20 percent chance of rain.

Ask Mr. Corso which he prefers, because I’m guessing it’s the one that is nearly 50 degrees warmer.

Only once in the over 20 years of College GameDay has the show named Arizona State the host of the nation’s best pregame show (I’m not afraid to kiss up a little bit): In 2005. Ohio State has been host 13 times, while Michigan State has hosted six.

Now feels, to me, like as good a time as any to shake things up and roll those College GameDay trailers out west.

Oh, and did I mention the football game?

No. 10 Notre Dame, one of the nation’s most popular programs, is traveling to face No. 14 Arizona State. Both teams will be wearing special alternate uniforms. There will be fanfare and there will be spectacle regardless of your decision for a Gameday location, but oh boy would there ever be more if you decided to come to Tempe.

The choice seems obvious to me, I just hope all of you producers at ESPN recognize the opportunity at hand. Or at least hate 39 degree weather as much as I do.