Gamecock superfan Darius Rucker reveals ESPN ‘College GameDay’ guest picker: It’s him
Darius Rucker will serve as the celebrity guest picker for ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday, the artist announced Thursday via social media.
“GameDay” will broadcast live from Charlotte on Saturday morning for the South Carolina-North Carolina season opener, which takes place that night at Bank of America Stadium. Rucker, the South Carolina native and USC alum who sang lead for Hootie & the Blowfish before pursuing a solo career, will also sing the national anthem before the game. He is a noted South Carolina supporter and regular at Gamecocks athletic events.
During the “GameDay” broadcast, Rucker will predict the winners of select games — including USC-UNC — along with the show’s mainstay personalities.
Rucker and country music star Eric Church will also represent South Carolina and UNC, respectfully, as honorary team captains, the Duke’s Mayo Classic announced.
The last time USC actually hosted “College GameDay” in Columbia was 2014, with country music star Kenny Chesney as the guest picker. The Gamecocks were about to play Missouri in their fifth game of the season. Lee Corso donned the head of USC’s mascot Cocky alongside Chesney. But South Carolina lost 21-20 on the way to a 7-6 finish that year.
Conversely, Corso is 3-1 in betting against the Gamecocks, with his lone mistep coming in South Carolina’s upset over Alabama in 2010.
Tennessee great Peyton Manning, Oregon women’s basketball alum Sabrina Ionescu, Texas golf alum Jordan Spieth, actor and Kansas alum Rob Riggle and North Carolina native and country star Luke Combs were among last year’s guest pickers.
How to watch ‘College GameDay’
Where: The show will air from Romare Bearden Park in Charlotte, N.C. The fan pit opens at 6:30 a.m.
When: 9 a.m. to noon
Watch: ESPN
This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 4:48 PM.
