College GameDay scene takes an unexpected turn before Ole Miss-Miami

The "College GameDay" crew received a surprise before Thursday's College Football Playoff game.

Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN College Gameday set during the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff is down to four teams as the No. 10-seed Miami Hurricanes (12-2) and No. 6-seed Ole Miss Rebels (13-1) met in Arizona on Thursday for the Fiesta Bowl.

Both teams have had unique journeys up until this point, as Miami was a team that many felt could have been left out of the playoff, while Ole Miss lost its head coach to another job right before the playoff. Regardless, these are two of the hottest teams in the country, and are two programs yearning for a championship.

Before the game kicked off, ESPN's beloved pregame show "College GameDay," was on hand to preview the matchup. While the show itself is already unpredictable due to Pat McAfee's antics and Nick Saban's willingness to fire off the occasional profanity, Thursday's edition was interrupted by a handful of legendary athletes.

As the two teams warmed up on the field, the "College GameDay" set was crashed by 28-time Olympic medalist swimmer Michael Phelps. However, he wasn't the only former star athlete to crash the set as three-time All-Pro defensive lineman Calais Campbell, and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, Ray Lewis, also greeted the crew.

Ray Lewis, Calais Campbell and Michael Phelps pulled up to the College GameDay set 🔥 pic.twitter.com/l1H6GYtDrO

— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2026

As referenced on the broadcast by McAfee, the stars often show up when Miami is in town.

"This is what it is when Miami is here," McAfee said. "Ray Lewis is here..."

It's unclear why Phelps, who attended Michigan, was at the game, but both Campbell and Lewis played for the Miami Hurricanes.

While both Campbell and Lewis are legends in Miami, they were surprisingly not a part of any of the Miami teams that went on to win titles. Some other notable former Hurricanes spotted at the game include Greg Olsen, Jonathan Vilma, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cam Ward.

The ESPN College GameDay crew broadcast from the field at Michigan Stadium during the NCAA football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite Miami and Ole Miss both having quite a bit of history as college football programs, they have not encountered one another very often.

In fact, the two programs have only faced off three times, with the most recent meeting coming in 1951, when Harry Truman was in office. Heading into Thursday, the Rebs hold the all-time advantage with a 2-1 record.

The winner of Thursday evening's game will play the winner of the No. 5-seed Oregon Ducks and the No. 1-seed Indiana Hoosiers. The Peach Bowl is set to take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, and will air on ESPN.