A big day of college football at Georgia Tech began well before kickoff Thursday when ESPN’s “SportsCenter” aired lived from the heart of Tech’s campus.
Matt Barrie hosted an hourlong episode of the show next to the Kessler Campanile as part of the buildup to the Yellow Jackets’ showdown with North Carolina State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Barrie, on the TV broadcast call on ESPN alongside Dan Mullen and Harry Lyles Jr., hosts the live edition of the show every Thursday ahead of wherever ESPN’s Thursday night game of the week is located.
“It’s been incredible. It’s been an incredible two months,” Barrie said of the on-site broadcasts of the show. “Each week it’s just gotten bigger and bigger, and it has really added to the Thursday night games. It’s given it an atmosphere where it’s essentially a pregame show.”
Thursday’s show began at 2 p.m. with Barrie riding the Ramblin’ Wreck down a campus sidewalk flanked by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band playing the school’s fight song. Barrie then stationed himself next to the Campanile and in front of a small, but boisterous, group of Tech students as well at Tech cheerleaders.
Credit: Chad Bishop
Credit: Chad Bishop
Tech football coach Brent Key arrived 20 minutes later. During a commercial break, Mullen led the students in a “To Hell With Georgia” chant which earned Mullen a hug from Key. Before Key went on air with Barrie the second-year coach led the students in a singing of the fight song.
“We talk about right coach, right time, right fit — I think if you look across the country, Brent Key at Georgia Tech is the epitome of what that means,” Barrie said before the show. “He’s a guy that played here, he knows what it takes to win here. He understands the challenges that it presents but he also understands that if you tap into those challenges, you can win. I think it’s only the beginning. He’s got it going. I think he’s the perfect hire for this place.”
After Key’s appearance there was a short re-creation of the Mini 500, Tech’s annual eight-lap tricycle race that is staged the Friday before homecoming Saturday.
Tech basketball coach Damon Stoudamire arrived next and joined Barrie on the broadcast about 2:50 p.m. Tech athletic director J Batt was on hand as well to take in the festivities.
Thursday’s show closed with Barrie, Mullen and Lyles sampling Fox Bros. BBQ with the brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox, the restaurant’s founders. Lyles donned a Tech football helmet before taking in a spoonful of banana pudding.
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