For the first time in "College GameDay" history, the bus has made it to Bozeman, Mont. And the crew is receiving a chilly welcome.
Cold weather is surging across the country, and Bozeman, a city in south central Montana, is no exception, with temperatures that could make Saturday the coldest episode in the show's 35-year history.
MORE: More info on 'GameDay' show from Bozeman
ESPN's flagship college football program is in Montana to cover the Brawl of the Wild between Montana and Montana State. The game between Big Sky rivals is being played in Bozeman, home of the Montana State Bobcats.
Here's the latest on the weather ahead of "College GameDay."
Bozeman, Mont., weather updates
(All times Eastern)
Friday, Nov. 18
4 p.m.: "College GameDay" begins each episode at 9 a.m. ET, or 7 a.m. MT. As of 4 p.m. ET (2 p.m. MT) Friday, The Weather Channel predicts it will be 4 degrees Fahrenheit when the show begins Saturday, with a real feel of minus-6. Over the course of the three-hour show, the forecast shows a high of 14 degrees by the time the show ends, with a real feel of 8.
3:16 p.m.: Show host Rece Davis confirmed it would be the coldest episode on record and said a group of fans was ready to camp out for the show.
We’re ready for tomorrow @MSUBobcats_FB fans, are you?!@ReceDavis and the GameDay crew can’t wait to see you bright and early at Dyche Field! It may be cold but bring the heat with your best signs! pic.twitter.com/JCkDmV24v0
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 18, 2022
1:04 p.m.: A "College GameDay" spokesperson told Extra Points' Matt Brown that the show expects to encounter the coldest conditions ever for the show. It was so cold Friday that equipment froze.
GameDay logistics spokesperson tells me that tomorrow will be the coldest college GameDay EVER. Some of the equipment needed to set up the set today even froze.
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) November 18, 2022
Where is 'College GameDay' this week?
- Location: Bozeman, Mont.
- Time: 9 a.m. ET (7 a.m. local time)
- Matchup: Montana at Montana State
"College GameDay" is making the trek north for the Brawl of the Wild at Montana State. It will be the 12th time in show history it has gone to an FCS campus — the second time in 2022 after visiting Jackson State vs. Southern — and the first time it has gone to a Big Sky game.
Why is 'College GameDay' in Montana?
The matchup between Montana and Montana State is one of the most historic in college football.
Saturday will mark the 121st time the two teams have faced off, making it the 31st-oldest rivalry in Division I football and fourth-oldest among FCS teams. Montana has the all-time advantage at 73-41-5 and won the matchup last year to claim the Great Divide Trophy.
There was quite a push to make this happen. Big Sky commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a release that the conference campaigned for the show to come to a Big Sky campus.
Last year, a push was made for the show to come to Missoula, Mont., when Montana was hosting the game. It didn't work out at the time, but a year later, "College GameDay" is in Bozeman for the rivalry game.
"College football fans all over America are about to learn what everyone in Big Sky country has known for a long time: the 'Brawl of the Wild' is truly one of the game's greatest rivalries," Wistrcill said in the statement. "On behalf of the Big Sky Conference, we eagerly welcome our partners from ESPN and their crew to beautiful Bozeman for what always is an electric environment wherever the annual Montana vs. Montana State game is held."
