Who will be College GameDay guest picker for BYU-Notre Dame? Possible candidates
Oct 11, 2026, 2:42 PM | Updated: 2:45 pm
PROVO — ESPN College GameDay is coming to Provo for the first time since 2009. The three-hour college football pregame show will highlight the top-10 matchup between BYU and Notre Dame.
Every week on College GameDay, they feature a celebrity guest picker to join the desk to make “Saturday Selections.”
View this post on Instagram
Who will be the celebrity who joins the GameDay crew at BYU?
Typically, they pick someone with ties to the school or the community. In 2009, ESPN had legendary head coach LaVell Edwards join the crew on set.
Potential College GameDay celebrity guest pickers for BYU-Notre Dame
Here are our potential picks for College GameDay picker for BYU-Notre Dame week. College GameDay takes place from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. The location of GameDay has not yet been announced.
Steve Young, Former BYU QB star
One of the greatest quarterbacks in BYU football history and an NFL Hall of Famer. He once worked at ESPN. Two years ago, he hopped on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff and called Jake Retzlaff a “Swashbuckler” quarterback.
Danny Ainge, Former BYU basketball star
Ainge delivered one of the best moments in NCAA Tournament history, hitting a game-winner to help BYU defeat Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 in 1981.
Since Ainge began working with the Utah Jazz front office, he’s been a fixture at BYU sporting events.
Along with his star power on the court and in the front office, Ainge has experience providing on-air analysis. He was an NBA analyst on TNT in the mid-90s and early 2000s.
Jimmer Fredette, Former BYU basketball star
The one person on this list you could refer to by one name and people would know you are talking about. He might not deliver a viral-worthy moment, but the man knows ball, and he’s a die-hard Coug.
Imagine a moment where Pat McAfee talks about his memories of watching Jimmer shoot threes from the parking lot. That’s great content.
AJ Dybantsa, Former BYU basketball star/Washington Wizards
No. 1 NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa would be a big selection. He has his final preseason game with the Wizards on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. But if you’ve followed AJ’s career since he was in high school, you know this man can make the rounds in the travel department in a short period of time.
Mayci Neeley, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives airs on Hulu, which is owned by Disney, which also owns ESPN. So there’s some cross-promotion here if you’re the execs at ESPN. And one of the women on the reality show is a former BYU athlete.
Mayci Neeley (Jones) played on the BYU Women’s Tennis team during her time at Brigham Young University.
Rylee Arnold, Dancing with the Stars
Another case of cross-promotion within the Disney family. Who isn’t watching Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday nights?
One of the show’s professional dancers is Rylee Arnold, who has a huge social media following. Also, she has ties to the BYU football program through her dad, Josh Arnold, who played for the Cougars as a defensive back in the late 80s and early 90s. And her boyfriend, Walker Lyons, is a current BYU tight end.
Mark Rober, YouTube
Massive following on YouTube at 83 million subscribers with awesome experiments and DIY videos. Rober graduated from Brigham Young University in 2004.
Outside the box candidates
- Shane Gillis, Notre Dame fan/Comedian
- Frank Caliendo, Comedian
- Conor McGregor, MMA fighter/Cameo BYU fan
BYU fans probably wouldn’t be thrilled to have a Notre Dame celebrity on BYU’s GameDay, but how could you not love hearing Gillis deliver another “Alabama Jones” type of moment on the GameDay set?
Frank Caliendo was once the celebrity guest picker at the University of Utah in 2016. He delivered a variety of impressions during his picks.
Remember when Conor McGregor rolled up to a BYU basketball game? Yeah, that actually happened. Imagine “The Notorious” McGregor rolling up to the GameDay set with BYU fans surrounding him and his iconic ring entrance walk. That’s electric.
It doesn’t hurt that McGregor is Irish. Would make a lot of sense for this week’s top-10 showdown.
No. 8 BYU vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MDT)
TV/Stream: ABC
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame begins at Noon
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
