Cal, ranked #23, lost to USC, ranked #7 in week 5. Says Cal has been only one of six of Power 4 schools NOT to host College GameDay

Who was the only school to ever turn down a visit from ESPN College GameDay? Check out the answer here #CollegeGameDay #SVGCollege pic.twitter.com/AQ1JGEC9V2

— SVG College (@SVGCollege) June 1, 2017

Cal would probably have told GameDay again it doesn't want to host GameDay but for the fact that we now have a more enlightened chancellor, Rich Lyons.

BTW, I've been bringing up various issues relating to GameDay at Cal, including where Cal could actually host it. I've suggested there is not nearly enough space around Memorial. A very few number of Cal fans have suggested a couple of locations, but I don't remember them and I'm not going to try to look up their posts.

Haven't been on the Cal campus for several years, but I think not very far below Memoriial there is a faculty lounge that allows visitors to buy drinks. I think there is a big grassy area just below that that building that could be big enough to hold a big crowd. But others would likely be must more knowledgeable on this subject to make good suggestions.

Go Bears!

Gobears49 said:

---

Cal would probably have told GameDay again it doesn't want to host GameDay but for the fact that we now have a more enlightened chancellor, Rich Lyons.

BTW, I've been bringing up various issues relating to GameDay at Cal, including where Cal could actually host it. I've suggested there is not nearly enough space around Memorial. A very few number of Cal fans have suggested a couple of locations, but I don't remember them and I'm not going to try to look up their posts.

Haven't been on the Cal campus for several years, but I think not very far below Memoriial there is a faculty lounge that allows visitors to buy drinks. I think there is a big grassy area just below that that building that could be big enough to hold a big crowd. But others would likely be must more knowledgeable on this subject to make good suggestions.

Go Bears!

---

There a plenty of spots.
It would undoubtedly be on the glade though.
It's clearly big enough and plays host to pretty much every opposing SEC team pregame tailgate since as long as I can remember so it's clearly not unavailable on game days

The problem with Gameday in Berkeley is that there is too many groups that would use it to promote their cause, which generally just ruins the spirit of Gameday being there. It's a college football centric show. I'd like to see it in Berkeley but only because of the mayhem that would ensue lol.

MinotStateBeav said:

---

The problem with Gameday in Berkeley is that there is too many groups that would use it to promote their cause, which generally just ruins the spirit of Gameday being there. It's a college football centric show. I'd like to see it in Berkeley but only because of the mayhem that would ensue lol.

---

It's been awhile since I've watched a GameDay program The events I remember are a total campus related event and do not allow groups within a campus to have any individual say at thje micrphine.

I do want to point out that hosting GameDay would be a huge incentive to sell out our stadium, which would bring in a lot of revenue to Cal athletics, or close to it. That, and the prestige it would bring for national football esposure to Cal, especially if we win the game, should really raise the level Cal football awareness and maybe all Cal sports in general.

I should add that if GameDay does ever come to visit Cal, they should be encouraged to show all of the famous areas around campus, including showing the full view of the Campanile, the view fromf it looking towards the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from the top of it, the view looking down from the hilly areas from above the stadium, where some fans sit for free, and the area at the entrance around the Sproul Hall entrance to the campus. I'm sure I've left off some picturesque and famous areas around campus, including Top Dog.

Comments where GameDay is held should attepusmpt to show a picturesque picture of Cal's beautiful campus

And, of course, the FULL VIDEO OF THE PLAY should be shown, easily the greatest play in college or pro football. It has to show the full play and continue on, unbroken, to show the picture of the officials deciding whether they would rule The Play a legal touchdown, Starkey's great rant right after the official ruled it was a Cal touchdown, leading up to Starkey's final comment, which was "there will be no extra point" (as Cal's touchdown by itself put Cal ahead by a point.

Go Bears!!!

MinotStateBeav said:

---

The problem with Gameday in Berkeley is that there is too many groups that would use it to promote their cause, which generally just ruins the spirit of Gameday being there. It's a college football centric show. I'd like to see it in Berkeley but only because of the mayhem that would ensue lol.

---

As Gobears49 politely put it, this makes zero sense and to me it suggests you've never watched the show.

I will add that Gameday crowds these days are usually filled with two types of signs: funny ones making fun of the away team and Christian ones. It doesn't seem to ruin the spirit of Gameday.

If we were to host, it would mostly likely be at Memorial Glade with the iconic Sather Tower and Doe Library as the backdrop. So, what was the real reason why Cal declined Gameday?

MinotStateBeav said:

---

The problem with Gameday in Berkeley is that there is too many groups that would use it to promote their cause, which generally just ruins the spirit of Gameday being there. It's a college football centric show. I'd like to see it in Berkeley but only because of the mayhem that would ensue lol.

---

Unlike UCLA and Stanford.....

bear2034 said:

---

Who was the only school to ever turn down a visit from ESPN College GameDay? Check out the answer here #CollegeGameDay #SVGCollege pic.twitter.com/AQ1JGEC9V2

— SVG College (@SVGCollege) June 1, 2017

---

I don't believe Cal turned down College Gameday. Also, that guy, Lee Fitting, is a pretty sketchy. I wouldn't be surprised if he has an axed to grind against our school.

ESPN fired Lee Fitting last year.

Emmy scheme played role in ESPN executive losing his job https://t.co/X8Jz8lfH22 pic.twitter.com/hq8VBh1r9v

— New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2024

Current Cal students:

"What's ESPN?"

OK so don't say it again

I bet it was in 2007 versus Tennessee. The administration probably didn't want the show highlighting the confrontation with Dumpster Muffin and the tree-huggers.

bear2034 said:

---

Who was the only school to ever turn down a visit from ESPN College GameDay? Check out the answer here #CollegeGameDay #SVGCollege pic.twitter.com/AQ1JGEC9V2

— SVG College (@SVGCollege) June 1, 2017

---

Thank you academic snobs and PE-haters.
***?
This is but one more reason why our brand has faded, much to the delight of the same folks mentioned above.

AuNBearkeley said:

---

I bet it was in 2007 versus Tennessee. The administration probably didn't want the show highlighting the confrontation with Dumpster Muffin and the tree-huggers.

---

Eh...we were playing in front of an even bigger audience on ABC in primetime, which was going to highlight it regardless. Why would we turn down Gameday in 2007? Especially since Gameday wouldn't be near the tree-sitters. It makes no sense.



Also, I doubt Sandy would be the one who would turn down Gameday. (Especially since basketball Gameday did come during her tenure.)

I still don't believe this story.

Again, Lee Fitting seems like the type of guy who would make this kind of story up.

Maybe SebastaBear or somebody in the know can verify if this is actually true.

In 2009, Gameday was all set to come to Cal. But then we were blown out by Oregon.

I recall scuttle around here in that timeframe that ESPN considered Gameday but we couldn't give them the space they needed - or some other logistical challenge.

I also can pretty much guarantee we did not "turn down" an offer - ESPN scouts these things well ahead of time and likely has multiple irons in the fire each week so they can pick the most compelling game the following week on Saturday night after all the games are played.

So what I do believe is that ESPN was considering a Cal game and we could not or would not make it work, so ESPN took us out of consideration. That is not exactly turning it down, though.

Gobears49 said:

---

Cal, ranked #23, lost to USC, ranked #7 in week 5. Says Cal has been only one of six of Power 4 schools NOT to host College GameDay

---

By the way, this video is BLATANTLY false.

The video claims Cal turned down a visit from Gameday for Week 5 of the 2009 season vs. USC.

The following 2 videos are from *Week 4* of the 2009 season. I recorded these videos myself. In these videos, they are saying that Gameday is coming to Cal the next week if they beat Oregon. They sounded pretty definitive that they were coming to Cal.





Unfortunately, Cal did not beat Oregon.

Gameday didn't come to Cal for Week 5 vs. USC because they didn't want to go to the site of a school that just lost 42-3 the previous week.

Please don't rely on influencers for your news.

If we lucked out and got on again, I'd hope they do it on Goldman Plaza. Incredible backdrop and minimizes protestors and crazies (or at least we'd make money off the ones that bought a ticket).

I have a vague memory that Cal couldn't get lights on last minute notice