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'College GameDay' announces $450 million star as celebrity guest picker for Texas Tech

"College GameDay" revealed a major announcement for this week's celebrity guest picker ahead of the BYU-Texas Tech game.
Jonathan Adams|
Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.
Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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For back-to-back weeks, the "College GameDay" location will be on a Big 12 campus. ESPN made a major announcement for the celebrity guest picker on Saturday as GameDay heads to Lubbock for the BYU-Texas Tech clash.

Kirk Herbstreit previously teased the potential celebrity guest picker during the Week 10 show. On the eve of the show, "College GameDay" confirmed the news of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the celebrity guest picker.

"Come on now, you know had to come back to Lubbock to be this weekend's guest picker," the "College GameDay" official social media account detailed on Friday.

Here's what you need to know about "College GameDay" at Texas Tech.

Patrick Mahomes is a proud alum of Texas Tech

The show attempts to pair the celebrity guest picker with the school hosting "College GameDay." Yet, sometimes this is not possible.

Earlier this season, Jelly Roll was the celebrity guest picker at Athens ahead of the Ole Miss-Georgia matchup despite the singer being a Tennessee fan. The stars aligned for Mahomes to appear on GameDay given the Chiefs are on a bye.

"We cheer for teams, we cheer for our picks, but generally the way things work on 'College GameDay,' (is we cheer for a team) if we're excited about the potential site of the (next) 'College GameDay,'" Herbstreit explained on the Nov. 1 edition of "College GameDay" prior to the Texas Tech announcement. "Like, next week, if we could go to Lubbock, Mahomes is off, maybe he's there for the show. How much excitement would (there) be (for) a big showdown with BYU?

"... So what I'm saying is, I'm going to pick Texas Tech, but when Kansas State wins this game, it's just the football gods. It's not our fault. We want to go to Lubbock, but they're going to lose today (because we want to go for GameDay), I'm picking Texas Tech. But I'm just telling you, that's how it works."

Mahomes has done quite well for himself following his standout college football career at Texas Tech. The quarterback is a 3-time Super Bowl champ and signed a massive 10-year, $450 million contract with Kansas City.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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