Rece Davis rates Clemson among his Top 3 college campuses for College GameDay

Rece Davis has been to plenty of college campuses during his time as College GameDay host. This week, he listed his top three — with some surprises at the top.

Speaking on Gramlich and Mac Lain Podcast, Davis said Clemson is in his top three campuses he’s visited on the show. He also noted he partially brought the Tigers up because Mac Lain played football there, but said Clemson is genuinely one of his favorite campuses and on par with some SEC schools.

“You could choose Clemson or anywhere in the SEC and not be wrong in the top three,” Davis said. “I’d probably say that just for sake of your listeners and your affinity, I would say Clemson’s as good as we do. … Pollack found ‘sloppy body guy’ and we had the mud splash there. There’s always something fun that happens when we go to Clemson.

“I think Clemson or really just about any place in the SEC. I love going to LSU. Even for an Alabama guy, Auburn’s been great. I take my alma mater out of it … because everybody’s going to feel great when they go to their alma mater. I think those are the ones.”

Rece Davis declares his top campus for College GameDay

Even though Clemson is in his top three, Davis listed two schools earlier in his rankings. He pointed to Washington State and James Madison as two impressive crowds for the show — which is what he uses to measure the quality of the campus.

“[Number] one is going to be … Washington State,” Davis said. “I doubt there will ever be a GameDay that was more moving and meaningful for me. I was [in] probably my fourth year on the show, but for 15 years, they had taken that flag to every show on a crusade. To see the joy they had in showcasing their campus and their university and their team that day was overwhelming. It was pitch black dark at four in the morning their time, two hours before the show, and they’re out there singing and probably imbibing in adult beverages. They’re waving so many flags you can’t imagine and it was exhilarating. That one would be my favorite.

“I kind of [rank] these by crowds because every campus has its own flair and own thing that makes it special, particularly to the alums. James Madison, because of the gargantuan crowds and picturesque setting, was a great place to do GameDay.”