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ESPN College GameDay Launches New Tradition During Week 1 Show

A historic milestone for GameDay brought a new idea honoring a fandom icon from the innovative college football preview show.
Joe Cox|
Washington State's special flag got a big shout-out from ESPN with the first Hall of Fan honor. (James Snook-Imagn Images)
Washington State's special flag got a big shout-out from ESPN with the first Hall of Fan honor. (James Snook-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Washington State Cougars

For the historic College GameDay pregame show, every year and even episode seems to bring on new landmarks-- and new ideas. A season ago, GameDay was celebrating the lengthy career and retirement of legendary personality Lee Corso. Week 1 of the 2026 campaign carries a special landmark, as the show celebrated a 500th episode on the road.

Yes, CGD began its life as a standard studio-based show. But the opportunity to go on the road, meet college football fans, and build up part of the sport's unending pageantry was too much to miss. A 1993 trip to South Bend for a Notre Dame/Florida State battle began what became a weekly fixture. And after 500 road trips, ESPN decided to mark the special achievement with a new honor.

A new GameDay honor

Host Rece Davis announced a new honor, Hall of Fan, for the show to bestow. "What we want to do, we want to honor these fans by starting the College GameDay Hall of Fan," said Davis. "And our inaugural inductee, somebody who has been with us for 23 years. They had a 15-year crusade to get this show to their campus, in the palouse at Washington State. The inaugural inductee into the College GameDay Hall of Fan... Ol' Crimson, the Washington State flag." Confetti reigned down as a somewhat confused LSU crowd watched the first honor go to a flag.

The first Hall of Fan inductee

CGD has featured flags from prominent teams throughout college football, and the ubiquotus Ol' Crimson has been around for over 300 episodes. The back story is a wild one.

Ol' Crimson's story

A Washington State backer flew the flag at a 2003 CGD broadcast from Austin, Texas (yes, the game was between Texas and Kansas State-- so no WSU element was even involved). The Washington State Ol' Crimson Booster Club now ships the flag to alums near the weekly broadcast spot so that it can continue to make its CGD appearance.

Ol' Crimson has made it across the nation, from Disney's Magic Kingdom to golf's fabled August National to a Naval ship and an episode in New York City's Times Square. But perhaps most notable, Ol' Crimson completed its 15 year crusade with a win-- a 2018 episode on campus at Pullman, Washington. A 15-year crusade and a 23-year run of continuity, no wonder Ol' Crimson gained an honor. Week 2 might find the famous flag being a tough act to follow.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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