(STATS) – Neither James Madison football coach Mike Houston nor Villanova counterpart Mark Ferrante expects the presence of ESPN’s “College GameDay” before their matchup Saturday to be a distraction.
Few of the coaches and players figure to be near the set of the iconic show, which will air with grand hoopla from the school’s quad from 9 a.m. to noon ET. The game is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m.
“To me, having ‘College GameDay’ on our campus is just a special event for our institution,” Houston said Monday.
The show aired at JMU for the first time in 2015 before Richmond knocked off the previously unbeaten Dukes 59-49. Houston was at The Citadel then.
“It’s going to bring some national recognition for the school,” he said. “Our fans and our alumni will enjoy it tremendously. At the end of the day, though, the most important thing for our program is the football game, and we’re going to keep our focus right there where it’s supposed to be.”
As the reigning FCS champion and the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, James Madison (5-0) will be more of the attraction than Villanova (4-2), which was ranked No. 12 last week. The Dukes have Division I’s longest winning streak at 17, which also shares the CAA record first set by Richmond in 2008-09.
Houston said his team will oblige interview requests within respect, but added, “The big thing that all of (the players) have been adamant about is just not allowing the team to get caught up the way it did two years ago with everything surrounding ‘College GameDay’ and to keep the focus on the game. I think everybody is on the same page there.”
Ferrante’s 4-2 team has been plagued by season-ending injuries to key players, yet the Wildcats are still in the conference title race.
“It’s exciting, it’s great for our league,” he said. “Obviously, it’s great for James Madison and their Harrisonburg area down there. We’re the second fiddle to them, I guess.
“But it’s great publicity for Villanova and Villanova football. We’re going to be down there preparing for a game, so we’re not going to be involved with ‘College GameDay.’ Our guys will probably tune in to see what’s going on when we’re in the hotel getting ready for the game.”
The visit will mark the eighth time GameDay is spotlighting an FCS game. JMU will be the second non-FBS school to host multiple times, joining North Dakota State (in 2013 and 2014).
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