For the second straight week, ESPN’s College GameDay traveled to a Big 12 matchup on Saturday as they headed to Lubbock, Texas for a clash between the conference’s two leaders, Texas Tech and BYU. What was supposed to be a close battle of Big 12 heavyweights turned into a 29-7 blowout win that moved the Red Raiders to the top of the conference standings.
The day after the Red Raiders’ big win, College GameDay announced their next destination in Week 12 this season.
ESPN’s College GameDay Week 12 destination
For the first time in 20 years, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee and are headed to Pittsburgh. On Sunday, College GameDay announced that the show would be on hand for No. 9 Notre Dame’s trip to face off against newly ranked No. 23 Pitttsburgh. Given McAfee’s ties to the area, it should be one heck of a show.
COLLEGE GAMEDAY IS HEADED TO PITTSBURGH AND PAT IS HEADED HOME‼️
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 9, 2025
We’ll be outside Acrisure Stadium for our first Saturday show in the Steel City in 20 years!@PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/Fj60IytzCq
Pittsburgh last hosted a true GameDay in September of 2005 ahead of another matchup against Notre Dame. They also hosted on September 1 in 2022, but that was a Thursday afternoon show that hardly brings the same fanfare as the Saturday tailgate.
While Notre Dame-Pittsburgh was ultimately chosen, there were plenty of other potential contenders to how GameDay this weekend.
No. 10 Texas is on the road against No. 5 Georgia, and No. 11 Oklahoma is at No. 4 Alabama, but it would have been the show’s second trip to either Athens or Tuscaloosa this season, so credit to them for mixing things up a bit. Rece Davis also shouted out a bold potential pick—a Division II game between Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist in the Battle of Ravine—but that one will have to wait another year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘College GameDay’ Announces Destination for Week 12.
