Imagine waking up with a flip on College GameDay. Instead of the usual SEC backdrop or the Horseshoe packed with Buckeyes, you’re staring at the Vatican. St. Peter’s Basilica towering in the background, Italian flags waving. It started as a joke but can it pick up steam? Well, the world just welcomed the first American Pope ever. So, can it open new doors?
Rece Davis and Pete Thamel engaged in a spitball on the May 14 episode on ESPN College Football. The conversation kicked off with a viral social media photo of the crowd gathered outside the Vatican with someone calling it “a college GameDay crowd.” And naturally, the curious question popped up — “What if they had College GameDay at the Vatican?” Rece Davis was hyped up about the distant possibility saying, “Obviously, Notre Dame would play it. Would it be anyone other than Notre Dame and BC?” Even his media partner joined in the bet.
(EDITORS NOTE: caption correction) Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman leads the team onto the field before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
“It would kind of have to be Notre Dame and BC. Sign me up,” Pete Thamel said. Well, who else? You can’t make this up. Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame and Bill O’Brien’s Boston College are the two most iconic Catholic football programs in the nation. That’s Holy War turned Holy Ground in the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl. It’s already a rivalry soaked in tradition. “Adrian our producer just gave us a great idea, it’s a good challenge to Matt Garrett, Jim Gaiero and our GameDay bosses,” Thamel added. “We need the Pope to be a guest picker this year if we have a religious affiliated matchup.” Can you imagine it happening in Rome?
There’s something poetic about all this. Marcus Freeman, who converted to Catholicism in 2022 after taking the Notre Dame job, called his spiritual journey a “family decision.” His wife and kids were already Catholic. He leads a team draped in religious tradition and now, there’s a Pope who’s not just Catholic, but American. Born in Chicago. Big fan of AS Roma. Plays tennis. Pulls for the White Sox. Yeah, Pope Leo XIV isn’t your typical pontiff. The thing is can they travel to Rome?
Would Marcus Freeman see Pope Leo XVI at Notre Dame vs BC?
ESPN has shown they’re not afraid to take the GameDay circus on the road if the game’s big enough. Sure the SEC owns the map most Saturdays, but they’ve also gone to Ann Arbor, South Beach, and even Cal. The 2025 calendar has Marcus Freeman’s squad hosting Texas A&M in Week 3, and they’ll be riding high with a high ranking if preseason projections hold. Boston College is on the slate on November 1 in Chestnut Hill. The question is, can ESPN pull a Notre Dame vs BC edition with the Pope? Or a special kickoff overseas?
Yeah, it’s wild. It’s borderline insane. But the most powerful Catholic figure on earth is from Chicago, loves football, and could bring global eyeballs to a sport that usually lives between Athens and Tuscaloosa. And even if College GameDay can’t travel to Rome? “He’s an American Pope,” Thamel added. “He’d come to America. I imagine the Pope watched GameDay at some point right? Like I hope so, I guess. He’d be a great picker.” And honestly, that moment would break the internet.
If it’s going to be a GameDay episode that people remember for decades, get the Pope to the Notre Dame Game. That will make history. Would it happen though?
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