Details on College GameDay's trip to Tuscaloosa for Alabama-Tennessee

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – College GameDay will air from Coleman Coliseum for the first time.

ESPN’s weekly preview show will air from Tuscaloosa for tomorrow’s showdown between No. 14 Alabama (20-8, 12-3 SEC) and No. 4 Tennessee (22-6, 12-30). It will be the first time College GameDay is on the Crimson Tide’s campus prior to a men’s basketball game.

“I think it really speaks volumes for what Nate and his entire staff have been able to do in terms of creating consistency and also creating a level of excellence,” GameDay host Rece Davis told reporters on Friday afternoon.

The show will broadcast on ABC from 11 a.m. to noon CT on Saturday, March 2. Admission is free, and doors to the arena open to students at 9:30 a.m. and then to the public at 10 a.m.

A noted alum of the University of Alabama, Davis will be joined on the set by analysts Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg, Andraya Carter and Jay Williams and reporter Christine Williamson. 

Alabama head coach Nate Oats will join the show during its hour-long airing – as will “a special guest,” Davis said. While previewing the top-15 matchup with the Tennessee Vols, Oats shared a message to Tide fans planning to make their way to Coleman for GameDay.

“The crowd has been amazing this year, and it should be a great environment,” Oats said on Friday. “We wanna make sure that we’re being respectful and considerate of our language with signs and everything for College GameDay and during the game. 

“It’s gonna be a fun Saturday morning, a fun Saturday night. We’re gonna have a ton of fun. Let’s just try to remind the fans to be mindful of our language during both events, College GameDay and the game at night, just to represent the University of Alabama, the state of Alabama like it should be represented.”

Added Davis on what makes a good GameDay crowd, “First of all, numbers. We need some people, especially in a building that’s as big as this one is. It would be fantastic if we really packed some people in here, and hopefully, we’ll make it fun. The goal is always when the fans leave, whether it’s football or basketball, to say, ‘Man, that was fun. I wanna go back.’

“We’ll be engaged with them throughout, and I think it’s really important for them to come and show their support for their team, why they’re proud of their program, make some noise, react to us. Boo us when we talk about how good Tennessee is. … And then when we talk about how great Mark Sears is, they can cheer and go crazy.”

Tomorrow’s Alabama-Tennessee game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Parking Details for Alabama Fans

Ticket holders with Coleman Coliseum parking passes are welcome to use them for GameDay and again for the game. The Capstone Parking Deck will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis for all fans and will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Soccer Lot shuttles will run from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. for GameDay and start up again at 5:30 p.m. for the game.

College GameDay Procedures for Students

• Doors open for students at 9:30 a.m. for College GameDay.
• Wristbands will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis and will get priority access to the game. Students without a wristband will be allowed to enter at 5:30 p.m. based on seating availability.
• If a student does not stay for the entirety of the College GameDay show, they will lose priority access to the game.
• There will be a Crimson Chaos line to get into College GameDay in the morning but not to get into the game later. Students with wristbands will replace the Crimson Chaos priority line. The wristband priority line will open at 5 p.m.

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