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ESPN ‘College GameDay’ makes Lane Kiffin announcement before SEC championship game

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium.
Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast from Atlanta during the SEC Championship game on Saturday between Georgia vs. Alabama.

Georgia enters 11-1 and No. 3 after an eight-game win streak and seeks revenge for an earlier loss to Alabama.

Alabama is 10-2 and No. 9 in the country, punching its SEC title berth with a 7-1 conference mark.

Georgia is a narrow 2.5-point home favorite with a 48.5-point over/under. 

College GameDay will reportedly broadcast from the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for a massive showdown that decides the conference and meaningfully affects College Football Playoff positioning. 

On Thursday, it was revealed that the show will feature a special guest representing another school from the SEC, LSU's new head coach, Lane Kiffin.

LSU officially hired Kiffin as its head coach on Sunday, and he was introduced in Baton Rouge a day later. 

In his introductory press conference on Monday, Kiffin called LSU "different" and "built for championships," and said mentors including Pete Carroll and Nick Saban influenced his thinking, adding that money wasn’t the driver.

Kiffin’s deal is a seven-year contract reported at roughly $91 million total (about $13 million per year), a sizable raise from his pay at Ole Miss.

Kiffin leaves an Ole Miss program that finished the regular season 11-1; his record in Oxford ends at 55-19, including three straight double-digit win seasons (a program first).

Ole Miss promoted Pete Golding to lead the team in the postseason.

LSU president Wade Rousse, left, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry.
Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU president Wade Rousse, left, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry stand together at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

For Kiffin, the GameDay appearance doubles as an early test in the national spotlight, where he’ll be tasked with explaining both the move and his vision for LSU’s future before a nationwide audience at one of the sport’s biggest events.

ESPN College GameDay will broadcast live from Atlanta that morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon ET, building hype before the 4:00 p.m. kickoff.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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