Wearing a sleeveless hoodie, a backward hat and pink-hued sunglasses, Kyle Whittingham made an entrance worthy of a rock star onto the set of “The Pat McAfee Show” one October morning two years ago.
The Utes’ legendary head coach revved the engine of his crimson Harley Davidson motorcycle as he rode through President’s Circle. The roars of the machine overwhelmed the clamor of the Utah fans crowding along the edges of the ESPN set, a day before the premier college football pregame show took over their campus.
“As soon as I saw ‘GameDay’ was coming, I was a little disappointed, really,” said Richie Marsh, a Utah fan and former member of the Ute marching band. “I just get scared.”
The Utes have had bad luck when their matchups are featured on “GameDay,” tallying a 2-6 all-time record in those contests.
And that’s left some Ute fans feeling superstitious.
The last time the Utes won a contest on a “GameDay” weekend was in 2015, when then-No. 5 Utah defeated No. 23 Cal 30-24 in Salt Lake City.
When “College GameDay” was in town last in 2023, the Utes were trounced by Oregon 30-6 in 2023.
Fans cheer during ESPN's College GameDay college football show at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (Chris Samuels/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
So what is the cause of the decade-long drought?
Maybe you think the spectacle and national media attention are enough of a distraction to force Whittingham’s squad off its game. But don’t be quick to make that assumption, the Utes’ head coach said this week.
“Well, that’s the thing you want to avoid, is distractions,” Whittingham said. “Those shows, they do a good job of not really being a distraction for your guys.
“The biggest distraction is the guys just knowing that they’re on the center stage, having those guys come to town. But they’re very non-invasive, for the players especially. They get it.”
There are plenty of theatrics and pageantry that come with ESPN’s “College GameDay.” First comes the Friday lineup, where fans can tune into McAfee’s show, “SportsCenter” and “College Football Live” right from campus.
Then “College GameDay” is televised early on Saturday morning, where students and fans line up hours in advance — sometimes even camping the night before — to make their appearance on the set. That’s then followed by a nationally televised game the same day.
Marsh remembers when No. 3 TCU came to town on Nov. 6, 2010. As a member of the band, he was required to be at the set at 5 a.m. alongside some of GameDay’s famous panelists.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) ESPN’s College GameDay personalities Pat McAfee removes clothing during the show at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.
Several hours later, he watched from the stands of Rice-Eccles Stadium as the Horned Frogs and star quarterback Andy Dalton plowed through the Utes for a decisive 47-7 victory.
“It seemed pretty obvious that it wasn’t going to go our way,” Marsh said, reminiscing on the loss. “We were only two years from 2008. And we were so very hopeful that we had another magic team in us.”
The Utes traveled to Notre Dame a week later, losing 28-3 to the Fighting Irish.
“It was a swift fall from grace that entire month of November for Utah football,” Marsh said.
It was after that loss he started believing in a potential “College GameDay” curse.
“I try really hard not to be a superstitious person, and I think a lot of sports fans are too superstitious,” Marsh said. “But there does come a point where you go like, ‘OK, every time GameDay comes to town, we get destroyed.
“It’s a mild curse, but it’s not like Babe Ruth’s curse.”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham makes an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay college football show on the university campus in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.
Clay Vickery, another longtime Ute fan, was also concerned when he first learned “GameDay” was coming back. His initial? “No, no, no, no, no, let’s not do this,” he said.
“It’s not that they don’t get up for the game,” Vickery said ultimately. ”I’m always going to be confident in a Kyle Whittingham-led team.
“I really just think it’s the opponent you’re bringing in. ... They’re some of the best in the nation, so the chances of losing are higher.”
He’s since warmed up to the idea because he thinks any national media attention is good for the Utes, Salt Lake City and the state of Utah.
It’s also the first time a Big 12 city has been featured on the program in 2025.
“If you build something up, the higher you get, the further the fall,” Vickery said. “But I would much rather be playing the marquee game of the week anytime than not.
“We’re yanking the show away from the SEC this week. That’s part of the storyline, too.”
The Utes and Whittingham will have another chance to right their “College GameDay” woes against the Bearcats, who have now won seven games in a row.
Marsh and the Utes hope they can end two streaks on Saturday.