’s College GameDay is moving indoors for Saturday morning, with the show set for UA’s Coleman Coliseum instead of The Quad as the Georgia vs. Alabama game week takes a weather hit. The University of Alabama said Wednesday that the broadcast will run from 8-11 a.m. inside the arena after Hurricane Isaias strengthened overnight into a Category 2 storm.
The move matters because fans who planned to gather outside now have a different setup to navigate before one of the biggest pregame stages in college football. Pat McAfee said on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday morning that Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young will serve as GameDay’s guest picker on Saturday morning, adding another draw to a show already tied closely to the buildup around the Alabama-Georgia game.
That shift also changes the experience for anyone hoping to get in early. University officials said there will be no overnight camping, fans can start lining up at the north and east doors of Coleman Coliseum at 5:15 a.m., and doors will open at 5:30 a.m. A clear bag policy will be in effect, and attendees will be inspected as they enter the building. Raffle tickets for McAfee’s “Kicking is Easy” contest will be handed out at both entrances, but not before 5:15 a.m.
The timing makes the change more notable because had told WBRC on Tuesday that only severe weather would force College GameDay to alter its plans. By Wednesday, with Hurricane Isaias stronger and the forecast more uncertain, the network and UA had made the call to move the show inside, ending the possibility of a normal setup on The Quad, where College GameDay has aired in recent years.
What remains unsettled is how many fans can fit inside Coleman Coliseum for the live broadcast. UA has given the rules and the start time, but for Saturday morning, the real story is that the weather won and the crowd plans had to move with it.
