College GameDay Reveals Celebrity Guest Picker for Miami-Florida

Trinton Breeze

Sep 18, 2025 1 min read

ESPN’s College GameDay is heading to Miami this weekend, and the show has announced its celebrity guest picker. Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk will join the crew on set Saturday morning before the big game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators.

This will be the first time an NHL player has been the guest picker on GameDay. Tkachuk, who helped lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup earlier this year, will bring some hockey flavor to a football Saturday in South Florida.

The pick surprised some fans since Tkachuk doesn’t have ties to either Miami or Florida football. Still, he’s one of the biggest names in South Florida sports right now, and his energy should make for a fun show.

The rivalry game between Miami and Florida is set for Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.

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GeorgiaHurricane

Sep 19, 2025

CreativeCane said:
Anyone ever consider they’re trying to draw eyeballs elsewhere? Like ESPN-broadcast NHL games? Show dude’s personality before the season begins and try to win over some new viewers. I don’t know if it works but they definitely have a goal behind their choices…

…or they had no one else. I don’t know. I also don’t care. Just win.

Go Canes!!

JHallCanes

Sep 19, 2025

305 MOUNTAIN MAN said:
Horrible choice, but it’s a corporate pick I guess. Guy is a foreign ******* Hockey player, yes Hockey. What the F does that have to do with 305 ?

What do you mean by “foreign”?

Dude is MERICA as ****

I’m not the biggest hockey guy but him and his brother (amongst others) have been CARRYING American hockey for years

I think it’s an odd choice in ways but Tkachuk is a ******* badass and the family is American hockey royalty

AUcane

Sep 19, 2025

JHallCanes said:
What do you mean by “foreign”?

Dude is MERICA as ****

I’m not the biggest hockey guy but him and his brother (amongst others) have been CARRYING American hockey for years

I think it’s an odd choice in ways but Tkachuk is a ******* badass

Tkachuk is arguably one of the best American hockey families in history.

JHallCanes

Sep 19, 2025

AUcane said:
Tkachuk is arguably one of the best American hockey families in history.

As you were posting I added they are American hockey royalty as a family

I was hoping dude meant something else by “foreign” because every red blooded American man should know the Tkachuk family

Sep 20, 2025

DrNovaCane said:
Quick question for those that Champion this selection…

When has a College Gameday Celebrity Guest Picker NOT been CONNECTED OR A MAJOR FAN TO THE HOST SCHOOL?

We all know Katy Perry was a backup long snapper from her days at Ole Miss.

ShadowSpring

Sep 20, 2025

Jake from State Farm would be a more interesting picker. At least people know who TF he is. ESPN sucks ***.

G
Golsen82

Sep 20, 2025

hurricaneman said:
If he brings the cup then I'm all for it. Bringing championship vibes to our school being broadcast to the masses is nothing but positive. These dudes are more Miami than most people in Miami. I've watched them roll down Las Olas drunk off their a**es as they bar hop in a 6 seater golf cart with the Stanley Cup in the back.

Please bring the cup Matt! Thatd be ******* epic

G
Golsen82

Sep 20, 2025

Panthers in Nashville today but he's hurt so he makes sense to be the guest picker

Hurracanes

Sep 20, 2025

305 MOUNTAIN MAN said:
Horrible choice, but it’s a corporate pick I guess. Guy is a foreign ******* Hockey player, yes Hockey. What the F does that have to do with 305 ?

Dude is more American than you, my guy. He’s far from my first choice but this is a crazy reach.

L A M P

Sep 20, 2025

Dude is a stud. Yanks will be excited to see him. It is a very odd choice though. State of Florida has more Stanley cups combined than the rest of the NHL & we don’t even know our own players

1mg of Epi

Sep 20, 2025

Ghurd8 said:
Wow. What are you basing any of this on? Your first 2 sentences are simply untrue. The university is in South Florida whether you like it or not. I specifically remember them talking about Desmond living down here & mentioning local spots in Miami.

Granted I haven't really watched in years but when I did, they didn't exclusively talk about the Hosting University. Plenty of stories about fans & other things related to them in their area.

Also GameDay in 2017 went as well as it could go. What did it amount to in the end? If you can show me any proof of those "metrics" you mentioned being reality then I'll concede. ****, I really don't care. He's not a Cane & I get that. I'm fine with it.

1mg of Epi

Sep 20, 2025

Hoyacane1620 said:
no it's not. LOL It's not a showcase for any school. Yes, there are feature pieces on the team and/or individual players and usually the coach makes an appearance but it's a football show, not a Miami show. There will be plenty of features on other schools and/or players, too

DrNovaCane

Sep 20, 2025

DTP said:
We all know Katy Perry was a backup long snapper from her days at Ole Miss.

But she was a prominent sports and OLE MISS "fan" man...

When has this dude EVER been on the sidelines, sky box, worn UM gear, spoke about UM?

No one still has answered that question yet and that's my ONLY grip...point blank period.

CaneFan79

Sep 21, 2025

Chuckles showed the Miami Club Hockey Jersey to the crowd, but instead of putting it on, he folded it up and no one on the telecast saw it...'nor a mention of this:

https://news.miami.edu/studentaffai...s-ice-hockey-team-are-national-champions.html

To be fair, with Corso gone (and even while he was going) the "Not so fast" interplay has faded and the ending now, with the dumb spread picks (what is Superdog and Stanford "I ain't The Bear" Steve for then? Oh yeah, ESPN BET needs more juice) and the now obligatory McAfee act to replace the head gear...Albeit, he won't top what he did at Miami (and only Miami!)