If you woke up today looking for the classic sight of Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso donning mascot heads on a grassy campus, you might be a little confused. Usually, by mid-January, we're in that weird liminal space where football is ending and basketball is taking over the remote. This specific weekend—January 17 and 18, 2026—is actually the "quiet before the storm."
Basically, the College GameDay crew is currently in Miami, but they aren't doing the traditional Saturday morning show you're used to.
Instead, they are gearing up for the College Football Playoff National Championship between No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami. Because that game falls on Monday, January 19, the "weekend" show is actually shifting to a massive Monday night special. If you're asking where is gameday this weekend, the answer is technically Hard Rock Stadium, but the party doesn't truly start until Monday afternoon.
The Miami Takeover and the Monday Shift
It's kinda wild to think about Indiana playing for a national title in football, but here we are in 2026. ESPN has turned South Florida into a temporary headquarters. While they’ve been doing SportsCenter hits and First Take segments from the beach all weekend, the actual College GameDay set is parked at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
They aren't doing a 9:00 a.m. Saturday show this week.
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Honestly, it makes sense. With the NFL playoffs hogging the Saturday and Sunday slots, ESPN is putting all their chips on "Championship Monday." You’ve got Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and Nick Saban (who still looks like he’d rather be coaching, let’s be real) all ready to go. They even pulled in Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman as a guest analyst since his Irish narrowly missed the playoff cut this year.
The Monday show kicks off at 5:00 p.m. ET. It’s the grand finale of the football season before they officially pack up the trucks and trade the pigskin for the rock.
Wait, What About Basketball GameDay?
This is where people usually get tripped up. Once football ends, College GameDay moves to the hardwood. You're probably used to seeing Jay Bilas and the gang on Saturday mornings by now.
But here is the catch: Basketball GameDay hasn't started its on-campus tour yet. If you were hoping to see the hoops version of the show this Saturday, Jan 17, you're exactly one week early. ESPN just announced that the very first on-campus basketball show of the 2026 season will take place next weekend.
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Mark Your Calendar: January 24, 2026
The hoops crew is heading to Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech is hosting Houston in a massive Big 12 showdown, and the United Supermarkets Arena is going to be absolutely electric. It’s the first time the basketball show has been to Lubbock since 2018.
- Show Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET
- Location: United Supermarkets Arena
- The Vibe: Red Raiders fans are notorious for being loud, and with the "Guns Up" energy, it's the perfect spot to kick off the winter season.
Why the Gap Matters for Fans
You’ve probably noticed that the sports calendar is getting more crowded. Between the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff and the earlier start to conference basketball play, there’s no longer a clean break.
This weekend is the "hand-off."
The football crew is finishing their story in Miami. The basketball crew—Rece Davis (who pulls double duty), Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg, and Andraya Carter—is doing final prep before they start traveling next Saturday.
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If you’re a betting person or just a hardcore fan, this gap is actually a great time to look at the rankings. Texas Tech just knocked off No. 11 BYU this past Saturday (Jan 17) in a comeback win that basically secured their spot as the GameDay host for next week. They outscored BYU 32-10 in the final eight minutes. That's the kind of momentum ESPN looks for when they decide where to send the bus.
Practical Steps for the Weekend
If you were planning your Saturday around a pregame show, you've got to pivot. Since there is no Saturday morning broadcast this weekend, here is how you should actually handle your sports viewing:
- Focus on the NFL: Saturday and Sunday are dominated by the divisional rounds. That’s where the "GameDay" energy is actually living right now, even if it’s not the ESPN college brand.
- Watch the Monday Night Special: Set your DVR or clear your schedule for 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan 19. That is the actual College GameDay broadcast for this cycle.
- Prep for Lubbock: If you're a Texas Tech student or a fan in the area, you don't need a ticket to the Houston game to attend the GameDay show on Jan 24. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. local time.
It's a weird weekend for the "Where is GameDay" question because the answer is "everywhere and nowhere" until Monday. But once that confetti falls in Miami, the focus shifts entirely to the court.
Keep an eye on Lubbock next week—it’s going to be a madhouse.
Actionable Insight: Check the ESPN App or the official College GameDay social media accounts on Sunday evening. They usually post a "day-in-the-life" or a set-build teaser from Miami that gives you a better look at the Hard Rock Stadium setup before the Monday night championship broadcast.