Details Announced for Saturday's ESPN College GameDay Visit
11/5/2003
The show goes live at 10:30 a.m. from the Great Lawn at Heinz Field.
Plans are finalized for ESPN College GameDay?s visit to Heinz Field for this Saturday?s heavily anticipated contest between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Virginia Tech Hokies.
College GameDay features ESPN personalities Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Rocket Ismail. The show?s pregame segment runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon and then has reports throughout the day, including the 11 p.m. edition of ?SportsCenter.?
The GameDay set will be located on the Great Lawn, between North Shore Drive and the River Walk. Free hot chocolate, coffee, cappuccino, and slurpees will be provided courtesy of 7-Eleven.
Fans can park for free in the Gold 2 lot (adjacent to the Great Lawn) from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The lot will be closed after 12:30 p.m. and all cars must exit in anticipation of the 2:45 p.m. opening of all parking lots for the game that evening.
For University of Pittsburgh students, shuttle buses to Heinz Field will begin running from Bigelow Boulevard at 9:30 a.m. Those same shuttles will run back to campus until 12:30 p.m.
Student shuttle services to the game will begin the normal three hours before kickoff (4:45 p.m. this week). Students are asked to be in their seats 30 minutes prior to the 7:45 p.m. starting time for the national ESPN telecast.
?ESPN GameDay has become synonymous with big-time college football and we are tremendously proud to be hosting it,? Pittsburgh athletic director Jeff Long said. ?Our beautiful Pittsburgh skyline will provide a dramatic backdrop for the show that America?s football fans start their Saturday with.?
The game is a matchup of Big East championship and Heisman Trophy contenders. Pittsburgh wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Virginia Tech tailback Kevin Jones are considered two of the frontrunners for this year?s award. The Panthers (6-2, 3-0 Big East) are ranked 21st following their 24-13 victory at Boston College. Virginia Tech (7-1, 3-1) is No. 5 following its 31-7 rout of Miami. Pittsburgh is looking for its third consecutive victory over the Hokies.
