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When “GameDay” Can’t Get Here Soon Enough, “Countdown To College GameDay” Is Your Remedy

Best crowds? Best signs? Co-hosts Christine Williamson and Harry Lyles provide answers entering Week 6

Christine Williamson and Harry Lyles Jr. didn’t meet in person until they kicked off their first season together in Week 0 as co-hosts of ESPN’s Saturday morning digital/social college football show Countdown to College GameDay (8:30-9 a.m. ET).

But fans would never know that – their shared passion for the sport and ability to joke around with one another is that authentic.

Williamson and Lyles previously crossed paths virtually on ESPN digital’s The Heisman Show last fall and through a shared ESPN group chat, but traveling every weekend to the site of College GameDay is something they were both thrilled to do this season.

“When I was asked to do the show, I was excited, but when I found out Christine was going to be the co-host, I was excited excited,” said Lyles, who joined ESPN as a college football writer in 2020 and has also added sideline reporting for Thursday night games this fall.

Williamson, who arrived at ESPN in 2019, also continues to expand her role. In addition to Countdown, the former Miami (Fla.) volleyball player hosts a variety of shows across ESPN digital platforms in addition to anchoring editions of SportsCenter on television.

As a pre-game show to ESPN’s multi-Emmy Award-winning three-hour College GameDay Built by The Home Depot(Saturdays, 9 a.m.), Countdown wants to be the show that fans can enjoy while they are getting their first sips of coffee on a college football Saturday.

Williamson sums up the show’s simple yet successful approach: “We talk a lot of college football and we do it in a very fun way.”

Jon McLeod and Shelby L. Lacy produced the video.
This week, ESPN’s Countdown To GameDay (8:30 a.m.-9 a.m. ET, ESPN) and College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (9 a.m.-noon ET, ESPN) pregame shows are at the Texas State Fair on Saturday morning) ahead of Oklahoma versus Texas (noon, ABC). For more of ESPN’s college football programming news, visit ESPN PressRoom.

Christine Williamson and Harry Lyles on the set of College GameDay Built by the Home Depot.
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)
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