Opinion | College GameDay needs to come to Iowa

College football is growing in popularity, especially with conference realignment, which means there are more eyes on the game. College GameDay coming to Iowa could be beneficial for not only our team, but our university.

Jackson Mendoza, Opinions Columnist

November 10, 2024

Ayrton Breckenridge

ESPN crew members set up lights during College Gameday before a basketball game between No. 6 Iowa and No. 2 Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, March 3, 2024. The Hawkeyes defeated the Buckeyes, 93-83. (Ayrton Breckenridge/The Daily Iowan)

In Week 8 of the 2024 college football season, Georgia vs. Texas reached a season-high audience of 13.19 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. This was also the biggest peak viewership for a regular-season college football broadcast on ESPN platforms since 2016, according to Yahoo Sports.

In that very same week, Alabama vs. Tennessee drew 10.7 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. It was the first time in 28 years that a single network aired two college football games, both of which surpassed 10 million viewers or more, according to ESPN PR.

College football is at the peak of its popularity, with factors like realignment contributing to more marquee matchups. While the SEC will always dominate college football ratings, the matchup between Ohio State and newly Big Ten-aligned Oregon brought in 9.6 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch.

Another factor contributing to the explosion of college football’s popularity is ESPN’s College GameDay. GameDay started airing on ESPN but didn’t become a traveling sensation to college campuses until 1993.

A big reason for College GameDay’s resurgence is the addition of host Pat McAfee. McAfee, a former NFL punter who found fame after his career by starting his own online sports show, has brought back the energy GameDay truly needed. From antics like taking his shirt off in Oregon to leading the crowd in school spirit chants, there’s no doubt McAfee revived College GameDay.

Another addition to the College GameDay panel is former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Considered the greatest college football coach of all time, Saban’s presence alone draws viewers.

The numbers back up the growth of College GameDay. Through the first nine weeks of the season, the show has been averaging 2.2 million viewers, a 9 percent increase from 2023’s impressive season, according to ESPN Front Row.

Now, why should College GameDay come to Iowa?

College GameDay is all about highlighting the campus atmosphere rather than focusing solely on the football team, which makes the Iowa Hawkeyes the perfect candidate. The University of Iowa offers a unique enough football game-day experience that can overshadow the fact that the football team isn’t the greatest.

The iconic Wave after the first quarter, the sea of tailgates before the game, and the Hawkeyes being the biggest football team in Iowa are all reasons enough for College GameDay to make a stop in Iowa City.

There are so many traditions and novelties that GameDay can focus on instead of how mediocre our football team is.

College GameDay has not come to Iowa City since 2006, when the Hawkeyes lost to Ohio State 38-17. It’s about time GameDay returned to one of the most unique and lively atmospheres in all of college football after 18 years.

In the upcoming 2025 season, the Iowa Hawkeyes are set to play the Indiana Hoosiers, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Oregon Ducks, all of which are worthy of a College GameDay visit.

If it takes us getting beaten badly by a premier Big Ten football team for College GameDay to come back to Iowa City, so be it.