ESPN Could Put Peyton Manning In Very Uncomfortable Position On ‘College GameDay’ Next Saturday

ESPN’s “College GameDay” could put legendary NFL star Peyton Manning in a very awkward position next Saturday.

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The Worldwide Leader in Sports announced on Sunday, September 20 that ESPN’s college football pregame show will be live from Knoxville, Tennessee next weekend. ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be live from Tennessee vs. Texas ahead of a major SEC showdown in Week 4 of the 2026 season.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” joked that the game will decide who the real “UT” is.

“Time to find out who the real UT is 😏 We’ll see you in Knoxville on Saturday for a showdown between Texas and Tennessee! 🔥,” they announced.

It’s the SEC opener for both teams, who have each started the year 3-0. Texas, of course, is a little more than a week removed from an epic comeback win over Ohio State. The Volunteers, meanwhile, are hoping to contend at the top of the conference.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” has yet to announce its celebrity guest picker for the game. But fans want it to be Peyton Manning, the legendary NFL quarterback who starred collegiately at Tennessee. Manning has a professional relationship with ESPN, hosting the “ManningCast” each Monday night.

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Fans want ESPN to put Peyton Manning in awkward position

Fans want to see ESPN putting Peyton Manning in an awkward position, as he starred collegiately at Tennessee, but has a nephew, Arch Manning, who plays quarterback for Texas.

Who would Peyton choose – his family or his school?

“Make Peyton Manning the guest picker and force him to choose against family or alma-mater,” one fan argued.

“This needs to happen,” another fan added.

“It would be so awkward but it would be great TV,” one fan added.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” is set to air live from Knoxville, Tennessee from 9 a.m. E.T. to 12 p.m. E.T. next Saturday.

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This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 1:15 PM.