JOHNNY KNOXVILLE NAMED COLLEGE GAMEDAY GUEST PICKER FOR TEXAS-TENNESSEE

Pat McAfee has confirmed that Johnny Knoxville will serve as the celebrity guest picker on College GameDay this weekend, ending speculation that had built up on social media. The announcement came on McAfee's podcast on 25 September, ahead of the number one-ranked Texas Longhorns travelling to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face the Tennessee Volunteers under Coach Josh Heupel. McAfee introduced Knoxville by highlighting his long-standing connection to the University of Tennessee. Knoxville responded by calling it one of the best invitations he had received, telling McAfee "I bleed orange" while showing off a collection of Tennessee shirts and jerseys.

Johnny Knoxville has deep ties to the Volunteers, having been born in East Tennessee and taken his stage name from his hometown. He has attended games at Neyland Stadium since he was four years old, according to the reports. The speculation over the guest picker role had been fuelled partly by separate rumours that President Donald Trump could appear on the broadcast. ESPN declined to comment when asked by other networks about a possible appearance by Trump. No sitting president has previously served as a College GameDay guest picker, though the programme has featured political figures before, including Senator Ted Cruz, who appeared in a segment in Austin to discuss the Protect College Sports Act.

Knoxville is set to make the official picks during the final segment of the broadcast. It remains unclear whether Trump will make a separate appearance during the pregame coverage, with the sports world continuing to watch for confirmation. Fans had pointed to the final hour of College GameDay moving inside Neyland Stadium, rather than being hosted outdoors as usual, as a possible sign of additional guests. ESPN has not confirmed further details of the broadcast plan beyond Knoxville's role as guest picker.