Oregon Ducks Fans Flock to ESPN's College GameDay Despite Early-Morning Start

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are hosting the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers for the Ducks' second top-10 matchup of the year. Hear from fans who camped out for hours in order to see ESPN's College GameDay on Oregon's campus.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning sits for an interview during ESPN’s “College GameDay” on the campus of the University of Oregon on Oct. 11, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN's College GameDay hosted its iconic show in the morning of Saturday, Oct. 11 before the the No. 3 Oregon Ducks' top-10 matchup against the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers. Duck fans flocked to the Memorial Quad on the campus of the University of Oregon for their shot to be on TV with antagonistic signs to fuel the energy for kickoff.

Oregon Ducks on SI's Mario Nordi spent some time in line, speaking to the Oregon students and fans who arrived at various times during the 24 hours leading up to the start of the show. Some arrived as early as 4 a.m. PT on Friday, Oct. 10, skipping class, while others came closer to midnight on Saturday, even paying others for a good spot in line.

Crowd swarming the College GameDay set on Oct. 11 at the Memorial Quad. | Mario Nordi

First Year And First In Line

Student Amber Murawski at the front of the line to enter the pit at 6:00 a.m. for the College GameDay show. | Mario Nordi

Amber Murawski, a freshman at UO, was first in line around midnight, but she didn't do it alone; she and her friends took turns holding the spot in line--with her friends showing up at 4:00 a.m. PT on Oct. 10, and Murawski taking the night shift in exchange.

"I'm only a freshman once. I don't know if College GameDay will ever come back, so I might as well make the most of it," Murawski said. "This is my first ever GameDay, so I'm super excited."

To keep her energy up throughout the night, Murawski's friends brought her hot chocolate and pizza. But her passion for Oregon football is enough to keep her standing until showtime.

"I think I'm literally so lucky to go to such an amazing football school," Murawski continued. "I don't know if it's ever going to be like this again. I pray it is, but I'm trying to take the most advantage of it as I can.

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Toward The End Of The Line, But Having A Good Time

Student Cameron Grant is in the middle with a green Oregon hat and football jersey, surrounded by his friends waiting in line for College GameDay. | Mario Nordi

Cameron Grant, a student at UO, decided last-minute to join the line with friends at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, but his group came prepared. Grant had his friends go out and purchase buckets to sit on, and he brought a foldout camping table to play card games on.

Grant was at Oregon's last appearance on ESPN's College GameDay at Penn State on Sept. 27, so he carries a unique perspective to the spectacle that the show brings.

"This is my third one. I've never been in the pit, so I'm glad to finally be involved," Grant said. "There's no place like home. Penn State did a pretty good job of how they ran things, but the way we do things here...It's crazy we're half the size but twice as loud."

Time for Kickoff

Oregon fans awaiting the picks from the College GameDay analysts ahead of the walk to Autzen stadium | Mario Nordi

Luck is on Oregon's side as the Ducks are 9-3 when featured on ESPN's College GameDay as the home team at Autzen Stadium.

The Ducks vs. Hoosiers matchup will kick off at 12:40 p.m. PT in what could shake up the Big Ten standings, national rankings, and Heisman Trophy talks between quarterbacks Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza..