2026 is primed to be perhaps the biggest year in ESPN's history as the network is set to cover the Super Bowl for its first time ever. As they prepare for that big event later this year, the network is marking the start of the season with all-out coverage of the NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, ESPN announced that their College GameDay show will be in Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft on Thursday. It will feature a two-hour kickoff show preceding the first round of the draft, followed by a second one-hour show on Friday night.
"ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will return to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft, connecting college football’s biggest storylines to the next generation of NFL stars. The Draft marks ESPN’s first major event of the 2026 football season, culminating with ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl on February 14, 2027," ESPN announced.
"GameDay will air a special two-hour kickoff show on Thursday, April 23, beginning at 5 p.m. ET and followed by the 2026 NFL Draft at 8 p.m. on ABC. 2026 marks the ninth season the premier college football pregame show has originated from the NFL Draft. On Friday, a one-hour edition of GameDay will begin at 5 p.m., leading into ABC’s 7 p.m. telecast of the Draft. This is GameDay’s second trip to the Steel City in five months, as the show originated from Acrisure Stadium in Week 12 (Nov. 15, 2025)."
Broadcast Details
Per the announcement, Rece Davis will anchor the Thursday show alongside Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Nick Saban. Pete Thamel will serve as their breaking news reporter.
Other contributors to the show will include Adam Schefter, Molly McGrath, Jen Lada, Field Yates, Joey Galloway and "Stanford Steve" Coughlin.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
The broadcast will also include some high-profile guests, including Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. All three coaches are slated to have prospects that they developed come off the board early.
More guests are expected to be announced in the hours to come.
