College GameDay will be coming to an unconventional location for Week One of the college football season.
The college football season is a little over a month away, with the main slate of Week One kicking off in early September. Per tradition, ESPN will bring its College GameDay crew to one lucky college town to ring in the new season.
Or… will they?
ESPN announced the location for College GameDay Week 1 and it's completely out of left field. College GameDay will be setting up shop in the Queen City — Charlotte, NC — for the opening week brawl between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
College GameDay heads to Charlotte for South Carolina vs. North Carolina in week one
At first glance, North Carolina vs. South Carolina feels like the perfect matchup to ring in the new season. Maybe it is. It's ACC vs. SEC; both schools are expected to compete in their conference and potentially appear in prominent bowl games at season's end.
North Carolina is the No. 25 team in ESPN's preseason ranking, led by sophomore QB Drake Maye, who threw for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns last season. The Gamecocks, who finished No. 23 last season, have a star QB of their own in redshirt senior Spencer Rattler.
It's sure to draw eyeballs far and wide. Thing is, the game is being played at a neutral site in Charlotte. And while there's sure to be no shortage of students and local fans making the pilgrimage from either Chapel Hill or Columbia, it's mildly deflating for College GameDay to set up shop at an NFL stadium instead of a bustling campus.
This isn't the same as, say, Georgia-Florida in Jacksonville either. The Gamecocks don't play the Tar Heels every year. That adds a certain element of excitement to this matchup, but it's not exactly a top-shelf rivalry. South Carolina fans are more invested in the bad blood with Clemson, and North Carolina fans generally have eyes only for Duke when the schedule is released.
There are plenty of other high-profile schools and matchups on the schedule in week one, many of which are playing in their home stadiums, on their home campuses.
What about Colorado — in head coach Deion Sanders' debut — facing the reigning championship runner-ups, TCU? How about Virginia making the trek to Knoxville to battle Tennessee? That's ACC vs. SEC, too. Ohio State-Indiana. Boise State-Washington. West Virginia-Penn State. All compelling matchups, all taking place on college campuses in proper college football environments.
Ultimately, College GameDay will still have a full crowd in the morning and the GameDay crew will still discuss games happening across the NCAA. Lee Corso will don either the Gamecocks or Tar Heels mascot head, and all will feel right in the world. But, it's a bit disappointing for week one of GameDay to avoid the true college football experience.