Once it was revealed that President Donald Trump would be attending Tennessee football's game against Texas on Sept. 26, rumors started swirling that he could be the celebrity guest picker on ESPN's "College GameDay."
Pat McAfee set the record straight during "The Pat McAfee Show" on Sept. 25. Trump was never a realistic option.
“A lot of people were mad he wasn’t guest picker because online people said he was going to be the guest picker," said McAfee, an analyst on ESPN's flagship college football pregame show. "Which is another thing that is just the world we're in now."
McAfee explained: “Think about where we're at. We're out on the field because the game is starting at noon. The amount of things — they're cutting off radio signals whenever
this guy moves in the building."
Both teams' headsets will be shut off whenever Trump moves throughout Neyland Stadium, which Texas coach Steve Sarkisian revealed earlier this week. But the logistics of having Trump on set would be difficult to implement regardless.
"GameDay" will start outside Ayres Hall at 9 a.m. before the No. 13 Vols (3-0) host the No. 1 Longhorns (3-0), but its final hour, when the guest picker makes their appearance, will be on a smaller set inside the stadium.
"Could you imagine trying to figure that out? He's sitting on the field," McAfee said. "… Eighth-largest stadium in the world. I think that's a lot."
How "College GameDay" finds a celebrity guest picker
Johnny Knoxville was announced as the guest picker on Sept. 24. The co-creator of "Jackass" is a Knoxville native and longtime Tennessee fan. He will be one of multiple featured guests on "GameDay."
Legendary Vols quarterback Peyton Manning will join "GameDay" during McAfee’s “Kicking is Easy” contest as a student attempts a 33-yard field goal for $1 million. He was the guest picker when Tennessee hosted Alabama in 2022.
Finding a guest picker isn't as straightforward a process as some might assume. McAfee said that "GameDay" usually sends out many requests and has to contest with busy schedules, especially for performers who often have shows on weekends.
"I appreciate that we're at the point now – and I guess 'GameDay' has always been like this – where people get upset about who isn't the guest picker," McAfee said. "If all those people could just book the guest picker for us that'd be cool. If you could do that and figure out how that'll all work, thank you, that would be amazing."
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pat McAfee explains why Donald Trump wasn't the guest picker for 'College GameDay'
