For just the second time in the show's history -- and the first time for a Saturday contest -- ESPN's College GameDay is in Bloomington, setting up shop for a showdown between Indiana and Washington.
Rarely has such an electricity been felt around Bloomington in the lead up to a football game. Indiana fans, students and locals alike are basking in the spotlight as the excitement builds to a fever pitch.
Starting as early as Friday afternoon, students were already lining up for a chance to secure a coveted spot in the GameDay pit. Many of them, in true GameDay tradition, are likely to camp out overnight, adding to the exhilarating buzz.
"People I'm sure are going to camp out. We're going to have a huge crowd, they're going to be loud and excited," College Gameday Host Rece Davis said. "There's a different kind of energy about it for sure."
Davis emphasized that College GameDay relishes going to new places, especially places that rarely get national media attention. After tracking Indiana's play over the past few weeks, Davis knew that the Hoosiers' story was one he wanted to highlight.
That excitement is shared by fellow GameDay cast member "Stanford" Steve Coughlin.
"People are jacked up," Coughlin said. "[Cignetti] has flipped the culture in the time that he's been here. I always say, you can't fake the excitement of a college campus. There's a general enthusiasm and energy that's sky high [in Bloomington]."
The transformation under Cingetti's leadership is undeniable. The culture shift he's driven has fueled this year's unexpected success and energy, one that Coughlin says rivals any other campus GameDay has visited this year.
"This fan base was starving for success," Steve said. "A lot of schools are going to be jealous about the attention Indiana has gotten, but [Indiana] deserves it. You become the topic and [Gameday] be there no matter where you are."
GameDay's presence is as much of a celebration of team's achievements as it is of Indiana's fans, who have come out in droves to support the Hoosiers this season.
As the College GameDay crew prepares for its weekly broadcast, the city of Bloomington is pulsating with the blend of hope, pride and exuberance that only GameDay can bring.
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