WWE superstar Sheamus to be ESPN College GameDay guest picker in Dublin
The first edition of ESPN’s College GameDay of the 2024 regular season will be held in Dublin for a matchup against Florida State and Georgia Tech — and the first celebrity guest picker has been announced.
Four-time WWE champion Sheamus will join Monday Night Raw broadcaster Pat McAfee along with Rece Davis and the rest of the ESPN College GameDay crew on Saturday to hype up the Week 0 matchup.
Sheamus, a native of Ireland, is no stranger to helping out in the college football world. Over the past week, the 46-year-old WWE superstar also helped join forces with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to announce the team’s ‘Wear Green’ game will be against Louisville during Week 5.
He also promised head coach Marcus Freeman that he would be in attendance for the matchup against the Cardinals.
Unlike many of his WWE counterparts, Sheamus isn’t a former college football player like fellow former world champion Roman Reigns, who was at one point a defensive tackle for Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, WWE has just one notable Florida State alum — Ron Simmons, who was the first African-American world champion in professional wrestling history.
While Sheamus may not have the football background of some of his peers, his Irish pride has been a staple of his character on WWE programming since he debuted on the main roster in 2009. To have the opportunity to represent his country on a global stage every week on Monday Night Raw is one thing, but his role as an unoffical international ambassador for the company allows him to showcase himself on an even larger platform in mainstream college football.
Of course, WWE is a mainstay in every major sport these days. Whether it’s the Super Bowl, World Series or the College Football Playoff, each championship-winning team is given a custom-made WWE World Heavyweight Championship for their efforts. Many of the biggest stars across the sports world are seen with it on their shoulder post game and in parades.
Last season, the WWE partnered with the Big 12 Conference, and their presence at the Big 12 title game was prominent. The legendary Undertaker joined the Texas Longhorns on stage after their win, presenting the team with a Big 12 themed championship belt in an awesome moment.
Now, the WWE has taken their partnership with numerous college programs to the next level, and they’ll even be selling themed title belts for a number of programs this fall.