On Saturday, ESPN confirmed they are bringing College GameDay to Dublin next year.
That will be part of the pre-game extravaganza ahead of the 2020 Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Notre Dame and Navy.
One thing that hasn't been confirmed is the venue for GameDay in Dublin.
Well, OTB AM got closer to an answer as ESPN Senior vice-president and General Manager Pete Derzis and senior vice president of production Lee Fitting joined us in studio.
The latter described the decision to choose Dublin as a "no brainer".
Iconic Programs
"The question would be, 'Why wouldn't we do it?' he said.
"You get Notre Dame and Navy, two iconic programs in the States coming to Dublin, when there's a day when there's only a couple of College Football games and we've time to plan to kick off the season and get to be round the people of Dublin and throw a big party for those folks in late August, it's a no brainer for us."
Big News Just Announced Live on ESPN @CollegeGameDay is going international for the first time ever!
@NDFootball@NavyFB
August 29, 2020
Dublin, IrelandDetails: https://t.co/uvpPGMw13f pic.twitter.com/JaXnkPI86u
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 5, 2019
Fitting explained the significance of GameDay.
"In essence, it's a three-hour pre-game show, every Saturday morning that leads into the biggest college football games that day," he said.
"And over the course of time, College GameDay has become an American institution. All of America wakes up to it on Saturday morning.
"And it's not just x and o's and talking ball. But it's the fun that goes with that."
So that's what Dublin has to look forward to in 2020. But which public space in the city will provide the backdrop for the show?
"Two Presidents spoke there"
There has been talk of College Green in Dublin city centre. In May 2011, former US President Barack Obama delivered an address there. It definitely piqued the ESPN duo's interest as a potential location.
"That's what we learned yesterday. Two different presidents spoke there and we took a look at it," said Fitting.
"We understand that there are some challenges with that location, as there would be in any major city. We shut down traffic in the middle of New York City and in the middle of Chicago.
"I'd like to think we can figure it out. But College Green was unbelievable. You could picture the set in that location."
He added that the show's goal is to attract "15-20,000" people at whatever location they finally choose.
"But that area was unbelievable," Fitting reiterated in regard to College Green.
"We can envisage it in our head there. But there are challenges like there are in any major city."
You can watch the full chat with Derzis and Fitting above via our YouTube channel.
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