Is Caitlin Clark on College GameDay? Explaining why Fever star is rumored to be Week 5 guest picker
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Is Caitlin Clark on College GameDay? Explaining why Fever star is rumored to be Week 5 guest picker originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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After a two-decade hiatus, "College GameDay" is mercifully back in Iowa City, Iowa.
The program, ESPN's flagship offering ahead of collegiate games, hasn't touched down on the Johnson County city since Iowa hosted Ohio State. Nearly 20 years to the day, the telecast is back, rolling out the red carpet for the Hawkeyes' clash with rivals Iowa State.
The usual suspects will be on the scene for the event, which is set to start at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday. It's unclear who will join the normal cast of characters as the program's celebrity guest picker, however — a void that has left some people thinking that "College GameDay" could call in one of the state's greatest sporting exports make a return: Caitlin Clark.
With that, here's what you need to know about the celebrity guest picker in Week 5.
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Is Caitlin Clark on College GameDay?
Less than 24 hours from the start of the "College GameDay" broadcast, the program had still failed to announce the identity of its guest picker. The lack of clarity on who would make a cameo appearance on Saturday, coupled with the decision to place the spectacle in Iowa City — Clark's old stomping grounds — led some to believe the Fever standout could deliver a stirring address come Saturday morning.
At first glance, such a move would make sense. Clark shouldn't have too many obligations after Indiana got bounced in the first round of the WNBA playoffs to the Aces. Furthermore, her signature shoe came out on Thursday. It has already proved to be record-breaking— the footwear is being released in 5,000 Nike stores as compared to the customary 2,000-3,000 typically reserved for basketball shoes.
Nike also set up a glint hardwood floor – complete with Clark's "CC" logo at center-court — that is located less than a 100 feet from where the "College GameDay" crew will attempt to rouse Hawkeyes faithful.
College Gameday isn’t the only thing getting set up in downtown Iowa City.
— Joel Kellar (@KellarJoel) September 29, 2026
Looks like Nike and Caitlin Clark have something special planned. Coincides with the release date of Clark’s signature shoe on Oct. 1. pic.twitter.com/vQCZxuGG5F
Aerial views of the College Gameday set, basketball court and retail shop for Caitlin Clark’s release of her signature shoe pic.twitter.com/WcuHTTm8dM
— Hawkeye Rewinds (@HawkeyeRewinds) October 2, 2026
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In a vacuum, Clark is an ideal candidate to attempt to rally the masses of Iowa supports clad in yellow-and-black. And yet, it still seems rather unlikely that she would participate in the spectacle — at least at this time. Indiana suffered a premature end to its campaign, a disappointing result that raises more questions than answers about the Fever's future prospects. Clark struggled in that affair, tallying more turnovers than assists while hitting just six of her 18 shot attempts. She also suffered a shiner for her actions, taking an elbow to the tooth from Las Vegas' Jewell Loyd.
That doesn't appear to make conditions ripe for Clark — a hyper-competitive figure who expressed frustration with the way the Fever's season ended — to take part in the festive event. Furthermore, her history with "College GameDay" host Pat McAfee — who labeled the then-college student a "white b—" in 2024 — would appear to be another deterrent that might make Clark think twice before appearing under the program's banner.
On Friday, "College GameDay" host Rece Davis revealed that there was a contingency plan in place to allow a "special guest" to continue the guest-picking tradition, per Hawkeye Roundtable's Brad Schultz. Whether those words are directed at Clark remain to be seen. If Indiana had bested the Aces in Game 3, it would have started its series with the winner of Valkyries-Wings on Sunday, further suggesting Clark wouldn't get the nod.
In the event that "College GameDay" doesn't involve Clark, ESPN could attempt to involve Seth Rollins in the proceedings. The WWE superstar is a Davenport, Iowa native and has a contract with ESPN. He also is a big name in the world of sports — albeit some might argue that his stock isn't quite as high as Clark at the moment.
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