ESPN's 'College GameDay' coming to Memphis football game for first time vs SMU

Memphis, get ready. ESPN's "College GameDay" is coming to the Bluff City.

After a long delay, the announcement was made Monday afternoon that for the first time, "College GameDay" will be in Memphis prior to the No. 23 Tigers (7-1, 3-1 AAC) hosting No. 14 SMU (8-0, 4-0) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.

"College GameDay," in its 32nd season, will be live downtown from Beale Street and B.B. King Boulevard starting at 8 a.m. on ESPN and continue for three hours. Additional information regarding parking and scheduling will be made available during the week.

"GameDay" personalities Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Lee Corso, along with Maria Taylor and Chris "The Bear" Fallica, will get a taste of Memphis as they do their weekly predictions along with a celebrity picker. 

All eyes will also be on Corso to see whether he will don the Memphis Tigers mascot head gear for his pick.

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The game also has AAC West implications with SMU currently a game ahead of Memphis in the division standings. It also has implications for the Group of Five's New Year's Six bowl bid with both teams in the hunt along with Cincinnati, Appalachian State and Boise State.

"College GameDay" has been to Knoxville nine times for Tennessee football games, most recently in 2016 prior to the Vols' 38-28 win over Florida. It also came to Nashville in 2008 before Vanderbilt's 14-13 win over Auburn.

The basketball edition of "College GameDay" has been to Memphis three times. The show came for Memphis' home game against Louisville in 2005 and in 2008 when Tennessee and Memphis were the top two teams in the country.

The last trip was 2014 when the Tigers hosted Gonzaga and both teams were ranked in the top 25.

While SMU has gotten national attention for its best start since 1982, the arrival of "College GameDay" also represents how far Memphis has come this decade.

In 2010, Memphis was 1-11, setting a record for most losses in program history. Nine years later, the Tigers are ranked for the third time in five seasons. They've won 52 games since the start of the 2014 season — more than Notre Dame, Michigan or Florida. 

Now the program, and the city, will be center stage for the nation's premiere college football show. 

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You can reach Tigers football beat writer Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_B) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com