Stars Come Out for ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and ABC’s NFL Draft Shows in Las Vegas

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Stars Come Out for ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and ABC’s NFL Draft Shows in Las Vegas

Photo of Julie McKay Julie McKay Follow on Twitter April 28, 2022
  • College GameDay at the NFL Draft begins Thursday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN
  • Criss Angel, Michael Bublé and Ice Cube Headline Celebrity Guests Expected to Join ESPN and ABC Draft Shows

ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot returns to the site of the NFL Draft for the fifth time, live from Las Vegas on Thursday, April 28, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. The special two-hour kick-off show and ABC’s NFL Draft presentation at 8 p.m. with the GameDay crew will feature exclusive interviews with coaches from across the college football world and a lineup of celebrity guests.

Rece Davis hosts both the ESPN pregame show and ABC’s Draft presentation joined by Sam Ponder, Desmond Howard, David Pollack, Jesse Palmer, Robert Griffin III and reporter Pete Thamel. Laura Rutledge, Todd McShay and Suzy Kolber will also join on ABC.

Buddy Valastro from TLC’s Cake Boss series kicks off the celebrity appearances on GameDay with a special gift for the crew. Famed magician and illusionist Criss Angel will also join College GameDay for a special NFL Draft illusion. The Las Vegas resident and creator/director/star of Mindfreak and co-creator of the hottest new show on the Strip, Amystika (at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino), will then return during the opening hour on ABC for a thrilling reveal.

Following Angel’s second appearance, famed crooner Michael Bublé will join the show. Known worldwide for his distinct voice and stylized singing, the Canadian musician will share his perspective as a fan of the Seattle Seahawks.

Diehard Raiders fan Ice Cube will also join ABC’s Draft show Thursday evening with insights on the hometown Silver & Black. The entertainment mogul and founder of the BIG3 basketball league brings a unique perspective having produced ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary Straight Outta L.A. on the Raiders.

In addition to the celebrity guests, top college football coaches will join both shows, including Ryan Day (Ohio State), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dave Doeren (NC State) and Hugh Freeze (Liberty).

Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will also join GameDay and the ABC show for real-time reactions on picks from across the league.

Additional guests will join Friday’s GameDay (5 p.m.) and ABC’s 7 p.m. show, and on Saturday’s Draft finale show with Howard, Pollack, Griffin III, Rutledge and McShay teaming up from 11 a.m. to noon.

Guest updates and additional announcements will be available via @ESPNPR.

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Photo of Julie McKay Julie McKay Follow on Twitter April 28, 2022
Photo of Julie McKay

Julie McKay

I joined ESPN in 2022 as a member of the communications department working on college sports. My passion for college sports came at an early age in a divided household (Big Ten Conference-divided, that is) and followed that to the University of Wisconsin-Madison (sorry, Dad). Four years in the Athletic Communications Department, along with internships with the Big Ten Conference, Big Ten Network and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, cemented my career path. After spending some time in sports media PR in San Francisco, I’ve spent five-plus years focused in golf, with stints at the American Junior Golf Association, Augusta National and Buffalo Agency, working with the USGA, Youth on Course and Destination Kohler, among others. Despite being a proud Wisconsin native, I’ll forever betray my home state as a lifelong Chicago sports fan. My dog Rizzo knows there’s always next year and wishes his namesake would return home to the North Side.
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