College football’s loaded Week 10 slate has a clear headliner: No. 1 Miami at No. 6 Notre Dame.
Naturally, ESPN’s “College GameDay” is headed to South Bend.
There’s already plenty of bad blood between these revived rivals, but Notre Dame has another reason to want Miami. Last season’s loss to the Hurricanes ultimately helped keep the Fighting Irish out of the College Football Playoff. Another defeat could once again leave Notre Dame sweating its postseason fate.
“GameDay” last came to South Bend for Notre Dame’s rout of Indiana in the first round of the 2024 CFP. Its last regular-season trip was in 2023, when Ohio State escaped with a dramatic 17-14 victory.
Now comes
the fun question: Who will represent Notre Dame as the celebrity guest picker?
Here are a few intriguing possibilities:
Who will be 'College GameDay' guest picker for Notre Dame-Miami?
Shane Gillis
Perhaps the most famous celebrity Notre Dame fan — especially among "College GameDay" viewers — is comedian Shane Gillis.
Gillis was the guest picker for Notre Dame-Indiana in 2024, when "GameDay" last traveled to South Bend. Still, he'd be an easy fan favorite among fans and viewers, especially given his college football fandom.
The 38-year-old from Pennsylvania has hosted "Saturday Night Live" three times and is the star of Netflix's "Tires." He played college football for one season at Army and another at Elon.
Manti Te'o
Legendary former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o could be another choice. Te'o, one of the most-decorated defensive players in college football history, was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2012 after leading the Fighting Irish to the national championship game.
Te'o finished his senior season with 113 total tackles, seven interceptions and 1.5 sacks, also winning the Maxwell, Nagurski and Bednarik awards.
Te'o is also now an analyst with NFL Network, which is owned by ESPN.
Joe Montana
Legendary former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young was the guest picker for BYU-Notre Dame in Provo a few weeks ago. Maybe "GameDay" will pick another former 49ers legendary quarterback in Joe Montana.
"Joe Cool" starred at Notre Dame from 1974-78 before winning four Super Bowls and two MVPs with the 49ers. The 70-year-old former quarterback is one of the greatest football players ever and would bring some serious star power to "College GameDay."
Jon Bon Jovi
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi is another hugely famous celebrity with ties to Notre Dame. His son, Jesse Bongiovi, was a walk-on cornerback for the Fighting Irish under former coach Brian Kelly, and he has frequented Notre Dame sporting events in recent years.
Notre Dame's band often plays Bon Jovi songs, and Bon Jovi also collaborated with Notre Dame in a special release of his "Forever" album in 2024, which featured Notre Dame-inspired art.
Pat Murphy
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy would be a timely choice by "College GameDay." Fresh off leading the Brewers to their first World Series title, Murphy's return to South Bend would be well-received, especially as the former baseball coach at the school from 1988-94.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will be College GameDay guest picker for Notre Dame-Miami? Our top candidates
