Following Kansas University’s dominant 5-0 start to the season, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network [ESPN] chose KU to be the host “College GameDay” before their game against Texas Christian University [TCU] Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. The show took place at “The Hill” on KU’s campus and coverage was from 8 to 11 a.m.

ESPN’s College GameDay is a pre-game live broadcast that aims to hype up an upcoming game. During the show, ESPN looks for fans exhibiting school spirit, and occasionally chooses fans to be a part of special guests. 

KU’s football team has made headlines after their recent victories against Tennessee Tech University, West Virginia University, Houston University, Duke University, and most recently Iowa State University. The team has gained the attention of college football fans across the country, and after last week’s win against Iowa State, KU is now ranked in the NCAA College Football Coaches Poll and Associated Press Poll for the first time since 2009.

Students at Free State have been loving the hype and attention surrounding the team, and have even been getting involved in the action.  For many fans, College GameDay coming to Lawrence is massive in showing how far the football team has come after many seasons of losing.

KU’s current football head coach Lance Leipold joined the team last year to fill the spot left by former head coach Les Miles. This is now Leipold’s second year in the program.

“It’s big for the town and big for the university,” Lance Leipold’s son Landon Leipold said. “It kind of shows that everything is really coming back together” 

KU fans are excited to see their team’s luck turn after a 2-10 season last year, and are now packing David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium  (“The Booth”).

“In past years it was just empty,” sophomore Parker Simon said. “I’m just glad that ‘The Booth’ is packed now.”