Predicting Every College GameDay Location for 2026
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College football is almost back, which means Saturday mornings are about to feel normal again.
ESPN’s College GameDay already has its first two destinations locked in. The show will begin its 2026 season in Baton Rouge for Clemson at LSU, which will also mark GameDay’s 500th road show. One week later, the crew heads to Austin for the massive Ohio State-Texas showdown.
After that, we’re making our predictions.
And if the preseason rankings are any indication, GameDay could spend a lot of time around the SEC and Big Ten. Ohio State is preseason No. 1, while Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas round out the AP top five.
Here is our week-by-week College GameDay prediction for the 2026 season.
Week 1 — Clemson at LSU — CONFIRMED
GameDay starts the season in Death Valley at night.
Clemson enters the season ranked No. 23 while LSU is No. 11 in the AP Poll, but the rankings almost don’t matter here. It’s Clemson vs. LSU, Death Valley vs. Death Valley and the beginning of the Lane Kiffin era in Baton Rouge.
For GameDay’s 500th road show, this is a pretty awesome place to start.
Week 2 — Ohio State at Texas — CONFIRMED
This one was probably the easiest decision ESPN will make all season.
No. 1 Ohio State travels to No. 5 Texas for a rematch of last season’s opener, when the Buckeyes beat the Longhorns 14-7. Julian Sayin vs. Arch Manning gives ESPN another massive storyline on top of two legitimate national championship contenders.
Austin is going to be insane.
Week 3 — LSU at Ole Miss
How could GameDay resist this one?
Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford to face Ole Miss would be one of the biggest storylines of the entire season. Ole Miss is preseason No. 9 and LSU is No. 11, meaning there’s a very realistic chance this is a matchup with major SEC implications.
Give us GameDay in The Grove.
Week 4 — Oklahoma at Georgia
This has everything GameDay wants.
Two massive brands, two potential top-10 teams and a huge SEC matchup between the hedges.
Georgia begins the year ranked No. 3 while Oklahoma is No. 10. If both teams survive September undefeated, Athens would be an obvious destination.
Week 5 — Miami at Clemson
This one depends heavily on Clemson bouncing back.
Miami begins the season ranked No. 7 and should be right in the middle of the playoff race. Clemson is unranked, but a strong September could quickly change that.
If both are ranked, Miami-Clemson could have major ACC Championship implications.
Week 6 — Georgia at Alabama
Come on.
It’s Georgia-Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Even with Alabama beginning the season outside the preseason top 10, there are few matchups in college football with more national appeal. Georgia could arrive as one of the top teams in America, and Bryant-Denny would be rocking.
This feels like one of the safest predictions on the list.
Week 7 — Ohio State at Indiana
How times have changed.
Indiana enters 2026 as the defending national champion after an undefeated season and sits No. 6 in the preseason AP Poll. Ohio State is No. 1.
If both are anywhere near their preseason expectations, GameDay absolutely has to be in Bloomington.
Week 8 — Ole Miss at Texas
Another potential top-10 SEC matchup.
Ole Miss starts at No. 9 while Texas sits at No. 5, and both teams have legitimate playoff expectations.
GameDay will have already visited Austin in Week 2, but if these teams are both contenders in late October, going back would be completely justified.
Week 9 — Ohio State at USC
Los Angeles. Ohio State. USC.
That’s enough.
USC enters the season ranked No. 14 in the Coaches Poll, while Ohio State starts at No. 1. If Lincoln Riley finally has the Trojans seriously competing for a playoff spot, this could be one of the biggest games USC has hosted in years.
Week 10 — Miami at Notre Dame
This could be massive.
Miami is coming off a run to the national championship game, while Notre Dame enters 2026 ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll.
If both teams are undefeated, South Bend feels like the obvious destination.
Week 11 — Michigan at Oregon
GameDay in Eugene is always electric.
Oregon begins the year No. 2 in the country, its highest preseason AP ranking in program history. Michigan starts at No. 16.
A late-season Big Ten showdown between these two brands could have enormous conference and playoff implications.
Week 12 — SMU at Notre Dame
This is probably our biggest wildcard.
SMU starts the season ranked No. 19, while Notre Dame is No. 4. If the Mustangs can stay in the rankings and Notre Dame remains a national championship contender, this could become a surprisingly important November matchup.
It would also give GameDay another opportunity to visit South Bend.
Week 13 — Michigan at Ohio State
Where else would they go?
The Game remains one of the biggest rivalries in American sports, and Ohio State could potentially enter this matchup with a Big Ten Championship appearance and playoff positioning on the line.
Michigan would love nothing more than to ruin it.
Ohio State is No. 1 entering the season, Michigan is No. 16, and their November 28 matchup is already considered one of the marquee games on the entire 2026 schedule.
Unless one of these teams completely falls apart, College GameDay should finish the regular season in Columbus.
Our 2026 College GameDay Predictions
Week 1: Clemson at LSU — Confirmed
Week 2: Ohio State at Texas — Confirmed
Week 3: LSU at Ole Miss
Week 4: Oklahoma at Georgia
Week 5: Miami at Clemson
Week 6: Georgia at Alabama
Week 7: Ohio State at Indiana
Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas
Week 9: Ohio State at USC
Week 10: Miami at Notre Dame
Week 11: Michigan at Oregon
Week 12: SMU at Notre Dame
Week 13: Michigan at Ohio State
There will obviously be surprises. Teams will lose, unexpected contenders will emerge and GameDay will almost certainly choose a matchup nobody is predicting right now.
But looking at the schedule before Week 1, this would be one ridiculous College GameDay slate.
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