How UW can protect their GameDay turf from the Oregon faithful

For the first time ever, ESPN College Football GameDay is set up on the University of Washington campus to capture the fever as the Huskies and Ducks go head to head on Saturday.

I’ve been to GameDay several times as a fan, and it is a great experience. If you get a chance to go, do it. It will mean little or no sleep Friday night, but you will get a chance to showcase your Husky Spirit, and show the rest of the nation how the Dawgs get down in the Northwest.

If you aren’t familiar with GameDay, it’s a three-hour pre-game show highlighting all the top games and stories of the college football weekend. It’s usually staged at the site of the biggest game of the day. It’s X’s and O’s, mixed with a lot of fun, including the highlight of every GameDay broadcast when Coach Lee Corso, one of Gameday’s analysts, puts on the mascot head of the team he thinks is going to win that big match-up.

While some think it’s just for the college kids, I’m not the only older KIRO Radio staffer headed to the action. Tom Tangney is also getting up early to get in on the excitement.

“It’s going to be fantastic,” says Tom. “I’m going to be at College GameDay with my brother, and we’re bringing his 6-year-old son, Stevie. I think it’s going to be a hoot.”

Co-host and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit told 710 ESPN Seattle this week that the students usually wander to the set about closing time Friday night and stay, so you had better get up early if you want a good spot.

“Get there early,” Herbstreit said. “A lot of places where we go where we’ve never been, the students actually sleep there to get the seats that they want to be able to get a chance to get on TV.”

Parking lots on campus are going to open up at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday. Dawg Pack members can start lining up at the same time. The prime 600 spots right behind the set will open up at 4 a.m.

There will be concessions and students with a Husky Card will get a free breakfast bag.

Herbstreit said Husky fans had better show up in big numbers because the Ducks would love nothing better than to hijack their day.

“It wouldn’t shock me at all to see the Ducks and the Oregon faithful try to make that atmosphere turn into a little bit of an Oregon feel,” he said. “You got to protect your turf, and you have to make sure that America, when they turn on the show, that they see all of your colors and not the Oregon colors in the background.”

This is a great event, even for young kids. There are fun things to do around the outside of the set that will keep them busy, and there are giveaways and contests from the sponsors.

It’s also really neat to see how this show comes off, from the camera movements to watching Coach Corso get ready for his pick.