ESPN College Gameday has been at sites like LSU, Clemson, Washington and now, Western Michigan this season. You may be curious why ESPN decided to make a stop at Kalamazoo over more recognizable college football powerhouses.
There are several factors that went into the decision, but the stop at Western Michigan is consistent with what the show has done over the last several years. Fans have seen College Gameday broadcast from places like North Dakota State and James Madison.
ESPN likes to do one show each college football season from a new location and most of the time it is a school that is flying under the radar. It also helps that there are a shortage of marquee matchups this Saturday. The crew most likely would have gone to Morgantown, West Virginia in anticipation of the Oklahoma-West Virginia game.
One of the things that makes college football great is the interest in the sport all over the country. It is not just metropolitan cities, but college towns across the country that have embraced college football. Each time ESPN goes to a new location like Western Michigan, it helps bring awareness to the unique traditions of lesser known programs.
The Broncos head into Saturday’s game against Buffalo a perfect 10-0. If the school can jump over Boise State in the College Football Playoff rankings, they have a good chance of going to a New Year’s Six bowl game and facing a school from a major conference.
They may play in the MAC, but Western Michigan has plenty of star power. Head coach P.J. Fleck is well known for his “Row the Boat” mantra:
The Broncos also have wide receiver Corey Davis who is one of the top NFL receiver prospects for the 2017 NFL Draft:
The school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and has an estimated enrollment of 23,556.