For the first time ever, ESPN’s College GameDay set up shop in Berkeley, California, and Cal football fans wasted no time making their presence felt. Eager to witness the historic moment, fans began lining up well before dawn for the 6 a.m. PT broadcast, thrilled to celebrate their program ahead of its high-profile matchup against No. 8 Miami. The game also marked Cal’s first-ever home game as a member of the ACC, adding to the excitement surrounding the event.
However, it wasn’t just Cal’s ACC debut that had fans buzzing. During the first hour of College GameDay, the crowd shifted their focus to Nick Saban’s attire. The legendary Alabama coach, serving as a guest analyst on the show, was wearing a red tie—much to the displeasure of the Golden Bears faithful. The reason for their frustration? Red is the color of Cal’s longtime rival, Stanford, and the Golden Bears fans weren’t about to let that slide, especially during such a momentous occasion.
As Saban spoke on set, the crowd’s displeasure became increasingly vocal, with fans jeering and making it clear they were not happy with his color choice. Pat McAfee, one of the show’s regular personalities, took notice of the crowd’s reaction and playfully reminded Saban about the growing discontent.
Initially, Saban appeared unfazed by the commotion. In fact, he turned toward the fans and jokingly kissed his red tie, further riling up the crowd. But soon after, in the spirit of fun and likely to avoid any more grumbles from the passionate fanbase, Saban gave in. McAfee, ever the showman, handed Saban a tie in Cal’s blue-and-gold colors. Saban accepted the new tie with a smile, quickly swapping it out for the offending red one.
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The change delighted the early-morning Cal crowd, who erupted into cheers as Saban donned the Golden Bears’ colors. McAfee, ever aware of the crowd’s intensity, briefly pretended to put on the Cal tie himself but ultimately decided against it, waving it around before setting it aside—just to avoid getting any boos from the already energized fans.
As College GameDay continued, Saban proudly wore his new Cal-colored tie, much to the approval of the fans, and the show moved on with the crowd in good spirits. For the Golden Bears supporters, the small victory over Saban’s wardrobe was a fun moment that added to the excitement of having College GameDay on their home turf for the first time.
The atmosphere in Berkeley was electric throughout the broadcast, a clear sign of how much this moment meant to Cal fans.
With their team hosting a high-stakes game against Miami, Cal supporters were making the most of every moment—from lightheartedly pressuring a legendary coach to change his tie to showing unwavering support for their team as they embark on their new ACC journey.
