FAMU prepares for a "close-up" on national TV Saturday, when ESPN's College Game Day pays a visit to the school. FAMU becomes the first HBCU, and one of the few none Bowl Championship Subdivision schools, to host the wildly popular college football program on its campus. In the past, ESPN has done the show from the Bayou Classic and the Harvard-Yale game.The Pitch
FAMU's opportunity came about after President James Ammons paid a visit to ESPN in Bristol, CT, along with Bethune-Cookman President Trudie Reid to discuss the possibility of the network airing the Florida Classic on its "Big Station" (ESPN). "We went to sale the network on airing the Classic on ESPN or ABC-TV, not ESPN-Classic, not ESPN-2, or ESPN-U," Ammons said. "As we were selling them on the virtues of HBCU football, I asked them to consider doing a Game Day broadcast from the Classic," he added.
As it turned out, the Florida Classic coincides with the start of BCS "rivalry week", and just a few weeks ago, ESPN officials called to ask if FAMU would be interested in hosting a broadcast from campus.
It also helps to have a FAMU grad in strategic places, Ammons said. Keith Clinkscales, had been trying to find away to plug his alma mater into the programming mix at ESPN.
Coming to Game Day
If you plan on coming to Game Day, and you should, plan on arriving early. ESPN broadcasts its first "live shot" from the FAMU campus at 7 a.m, so you might want to consider camping out on "the Set".
Bring a sign. Signs are as as much a part of the Game Day experience as the show itself. The sign must be tasteful, and contain no profanity.
Also, wear Rattler orange and green. Let America know this is FAMU.
FAMU exposure priceless
The kind of exposure that FAMU will get is exactly what football prospects have been told they won't get if they play at FAMU, said Coach Joe Taylor. Even though Saturday's game against Hampton won't be televised, he expects the impact of "GameDay" being televised from FAMU will carry some weight during the upcoming recruiting period. "This is priceless,"Taylor said.
Bring your camera
Do bring your signs and your camera. This is history in the making. You could even make your own youtube post like Calvin did. I'm still trying to figure out just who the hell "Cavin" is, but he's major in youtube circles now.
And, Rattlers let's show up so Lee Corso doesn't drop the"F" bomb.
Also see: ESPN to broadcast from FAMU
The game will stream live on FAMCast. @ www.famu.edu/famcast.
ReplyDeleteDr. Ammons is always on it! He is the University's BEST AMBASSADOR! He's a great and visionary person to lead our wonderful university. I'm so proud to be a professor at(and graduate of) the university.
ReplyDeleteThe students have got to show up and show out. This is more exposure for our school than anything we've seen in over 10 years.
ReplyDeleteI hope the students and FAMU Community aren't a no show like they were when CNN featured HBCUs.
ReplyDeleteI was so sad to see that turnout on TV...
Wooooooooooooooooooo!
ReplyDeleteword on the various FSU sites is that they will be come out to our campus to make it look like they are at FSU. If we let that happen and we get out crunked by FSU, then we don't deserve to have Gameday at our campus
ReplyDeleteWon't happen. ESPN will only let those who are wearing orange and green or hampton's colors in the Pit to be shown on TV so let the Criminoles come on over if they like.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for the criminoles, I live by the "I Wisha" philosophy of life!
ReplyDeleteThe first live shot starts at 7am! 7am! I suggest a SLEEP OUT for GAME DAY! Go Rattlers!
ReplyDeleteWell the Criminoles came out and I must say that they really look stupid-like they don't know what school they're at. Don't they have a homecoming game?
ReplyDelete...what losers.
Yeah they really came out in poor taste-sans the ones who actually came out to have an earnestly good time WITH the Rattlers instead of AGAINST the Rattlers. We're not even athletic rivals!
ReplyDeleteApproximately how many Seminole fans did you see out there?
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot more than I expected(probably about 50 altogether) as well as a few Boston College and UF fans and flags in the mix. But there wasn't so much dissent among FAMuans about the amount of FSU fans because some of them just came to have a good time. It was about the signs and blatantly disrespectful and obnoxious behavior of many of the other FSUans-and some of them brought(and involved) their children! Most notable was the large cutout sign of a white kid with the words "FAMU Alumni Representative" written across his chest in permanent marker. I was very surprised that we let them in, but I know that some fans were turned away by ESPN because they were supposedly wearing extremely inappropriate attire and carrying inappropriate signs- I don't even want to imagine... I had someone turn on the TV at home while I was there so that they could see some of the signs that were being broadcasted on national television. My sister attends State and she was very embarrassed- I would have been as well. But at the end of the day they just made themselves and their university look very bad- we were too busy enjoying the festivities to care that much.
ReplyDeleteWhy be embarrassed at what white people do? She didn't raise them. It's their nature to be jackasses and they never disappoint me.
ReplyDelete