‘It’s great to be a Miami Hurricane.’ Fans enjoy ESPN College GameDay at UM’s campus
University of Miami fans were up before dawn Saturday, pulling on green and orange and heading to campus for a rare spectacle: ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting live from Coral Gables.
By 8 a.m., the Lakeside Patio was already a sea of Hurricanes colors, fans waving signs, most wearing orange Home Depot hardhats (the GameDay sponsor) as the crowd spilled out around Lake Osceola and Rock Plaza. Cheerleaders hyped up the energy while reruns of past games played on a giant screen. Shirtless students, their torsos painted orange and white to spell out “MIAMI,” stood shoulder to shoulder.
“It’s great to be a Miami Hurricane” the crowd cheered.
The celebrations occurred ahead of the 7:30 p.m. matchup between longtime rivals the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators at the Hard Rock Stadium.
The ESPN hosts — Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban — took their spots in the makeshift studio with the rowdy crowd as their backdrop. From the platform, you could see nearly every corner of the university engaged. At one point, divers from the neighboring pool climbed onto platforms, showing off flips and dives for the crowd, sending waves of cheers across the patio.
The excited crowd cheered as Florida Panthers star and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Matthew Tkachuk made his appearance as guest picker.
Tkachuk, who is the first NHL player to be a guest picker, said he came prepared and “did do homework for the first time since I think ninth grade.” His choice for tonight’s winner? “It is all Canes, all day, baby,” Tkachuk said.
READ MORE: Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk is College GameDay guest picker for Miami vs. UF
Fans came dressed in all manner of orange and green outfits — some elaborate, some outlandish. But it was Matt Meltzer, 45, who stole attention not with his clothes, but with a puppet. On his arm was “Matty,” a custom doll dressed in a Hurricanes jersey that Meltzer has carried for five years.
“Everyone loves puppets,” he said with a laugh.
Meltzer, who earned his undergraduate degree at UM and later taught there for over a decade, admits he still holds ties to the University of Florida.
“I went to UF for grad school, and Gator fans are just unbearable, so I really enjoy watching them lose,” he said.
The Hurricanes hold a 30–27 edge in the all-time series with the Gators. Miami has taken eight of the last 10 meetings — including a 41–17 win to open the 2024 season — and hasn’t dropped a home game to UF since 1985.
The rivalry began with their first game in 1938. Former UM player and coach Walter Kichefski, who played in the first game at Gainesville (a 19–7 UM victory) coined the phrase “Gator Hater’’ and insisted on referring to Florida’s team only as “The Gator.’’
READ MORE: Bad blood in the UM vs. UF football rivalry? See for yourself
The Gators’ faithful weren’t completely absent Saturday. Odilie Bagwell, who earned three degrees from UF — including her doctorate —stood proudly with her husband , Brad, also a UF alum, after making the three-hour drive from Merritt Island. “We’re here to bring back the Gators,” Odilie said confidently. “They’re going to defeat the Canes.”
She added, smiling, that Miami fans had been kind to them and they even danced with mascot Sebastian the Ibis. Still, the good-natured ribbing never let up. A sign reading “Prayers for Billy Napier” poked fun at UF’s head coach, and every so often, the chant of “F---the Gators” surged through the patio.
Despite the smack talk, Odilie admitted that they “need a miracle” to win.
READ MORE: Planning to go to College GameDay on UM’s campus? Here’s what you need to know
The program has broadcast from Miami nine times before, but only once on campus, back in 2017 when Notre Dame came to town. Now, on the morning of the No. 4 Hurricanes’ primetime clash with the Florida Gators , the spotlight was firmly back on The U.
“The University of Miami is proud to welcome ESPN’s College GameDay to our campus,” Joe Echevarria, UM’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “There’s no better stage than Miami, and no better day to showcase the spirit and pride of The U”.
As the show began to wind down, McAfee said, “I think there’s only one thing left to do here….” With that, the sports commentator bolted toward the pool, running with his microphone in hand.
“This day in Coral Gables is gonna be one I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” he said. As he reached the stairs to the diving platform, McAfee said, “This thing has been staring at me all damn day.” His co-hosts poked fun at him for being out of breath.
At the top of the 10-meter platform, McAfee peeled off his suit down to his black bikini briefs, shouted “I think the U is back!”, and jumped into the water.
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM.