GameDay Picker History Offers Clues Ahead of Tennessee-Texas in Knoxville
The short version
- College GameDay airs from Knoxville on Sept. 26 for No. 13 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Texas.
- The show usually picks guests connected to the host school, seemingly ruling out Matthew McConaughey.
- Peyton Manning, who picked in Knoxville in 2022, could return and face a choice between Tennessee and his nephew Arch Manning's Texas team.
- Repeat pickers are common: Charles Barkley has appeared six times and Keegan-Michael Key four times.
- Morgan Wallen and coach Rick Barnes are among the other frequently mentioned candidates.
ESPN's college football preview show arrives in Knoxville on Sept. 26, and past guest picker choices point to several possible candidates.
ESPN's College GameDay is scheduled to visit Knoxville on Sept. 26 for No. 13 Tennessee's SEC opener against No. 1 Texas, and the identity of the guest picker remains an open question. A look at how the show has handled past selections offers some hints about the likely candidates.
The program tends to feature figures tied to the host school rather than the visiting team, which appears to rule out Texas loyalist Matthew McConaughey. There are exceptions, though. Charles Barkley, an Auburn alum, was the show's first celebrity picker in 2004 when Auburn played at Tennessee, and Timothee Chalamet, who has no connection to either program, handled the role at the 2024 SEC Championship Game.
Repeat appearances are also common. Barkley has been a picker six times, and comedian Keegan-Michael Key has filled the spot on four occasions. That leaves the door open for Peyton Manning, who served as picker in Knoxville in 2022. Choosing him would carry extra drama, since his nephew Arch Manning starts at quarterback for Texas.
Other names in circulation include Knoxville native Morgan Wallen, who released a limited-edition camo shirt marking the Tennessee-Texas game, and Vols basketball coach Rick Barnes, who spent 17 seasons coaching at Texas before arriving at Tennessee in 2015. Comedians Nate Bargatze and Theo Von picked games at Vanderbilt last season, and Von has a history of Knoxville appearances, including dumping a Gatorade cooler on coach Josh Heupel after a 2022 win over Florida.
