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ESPN Announces College GameDay Location for Week 4

College GameDay is on the move in anticipation of college football's most important Week 4 action.
James Parks|
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Who is the real UT? Who has the right to wear orange? We’ll know for certain next weekend as Texas and Tennessee face off on Rocky Top in college football’s Week 4 action, and ESPN’s College GameDay will be on site to take it all in.

The network announced that it will park its flagship college football pregame show in Knoxville in anticipation of the return of one Manning to the place where another Manning made his legend a generation ago.

College GameDay Heads to Rocky Top

Saturday’s decision marks a return to one of college football’s most vibrant and intense environments after the show’s recent stops in Baton Rouge, Austin, and Oxford, and underscores the national significance of the Longhorns’ first SEC road test following their dramatic 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State and the Volunteers’ emergence as a ranked contender under head coach Josh Heupel.

A Matchup Decades in the Making

The game carries some unique historical weight, and not only because of the various Mannings involved with these two schools.

UT vs. UT will be the first matchup between the programs since 1968, the first time they face each other as members of the SEC, and the Longhorns’ inaugural visit to Neyland Stadium.

Both teams entered this past weekend expected to remain undefeated after relatively light Week 3 assignments – Texas hosting UTSA and Tennessee facing Kennesaw State – setting up a top-15 clash that serves as an early measuring stick in the SEC pecking order.

Texas arrives as the newly-minted No. 1 team in college football, riding serious momentum from its comeback against the Buckeyes, and Tennessee is seeking validation for its strong start and to leverage the electric atmosphere on Rocky Top, one of college football’s most intimidating home-field advantages.

Who Do the Experts Like Early On?

Texas is getting more favorable attention from the bookmakers, opening as a 5.5 point favorite against Tennessee, according to the early lines from FanDuel Sportsbook.

What It Means for the Season

ESPN Announces College GameDay Location for Week 4
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the Vols, the national exposure amplifies an already critical early-season opportunity. For the Longhorns, it will test depth and road resilience against a physical and up-tempo opponent in a very hostile venue.

It could also throw another wrench into what is considered expert opinion as exemplified in the national rankings. Texas upset the apple cart by taking the No. 1 spot two weeks ago, and now Tennessee is in position to cause a rupture at the top again.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

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