Glen Powell will be the guest picker for ESPN College GameDay in Austin ahead of Texas vs. Ohio State, a choice that lands the actor and onetime UT student at center stage for one of the season’s earliest marquee matchups.
As reported by Longhorns Wire, the broadcast will run from 8 a.m. CT to 11 a.m. CT and will air across ESPN platforms and Disney-owned outlets.
Key Takeaways
- ESPN named Glen Powell the guest picker for College GameDay when the show broadcasts from Austin for Texas vs. Ohio State.
- College GameDay will air from 8 a.m. CT to 11 a.m. CT on ESPN, ESPNU, Disney+ and the ESPN App.
- Powell is a visible Longhorns alum who re-enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin and is expected to graduate in May 2027.
- This marks Powell’s second time serving as a guest picker after his 2022 appearance in Austin.
Glen Powell’s Austin return and Longhorns ties
Powell’s role as guest picker lands against a backdrop of renewed local engagement that matters in Austin sports culture.
He first attended the University of Texas in 2007 after graduating from Westwood High School, and he later re-enrolled as a Radio-Television-Film student in the Moody College of Communication with an expected graduation date in May 2027.
Powell relocated from Los Angeles back to Austin in 2024 and has been publicly active at Longhorns football games, cultivating a profile that blends hometown fandom with growing national visibility.
Chad Powers and the Disney connection
Powell stars in the television series Chad Powers, and the second season recently debuted on a Disney-owned streaming platform.
ESPN is also part of the Disney family of media properties, which makes the timing of Powell’s GameDay role a plausible alignment between his current work and ESPN’s programming choices without suggesting an explicit directive.
Powell’s GameDay history and media resume
This will be Powell’s second time serving as a College GameDay guest picker; he previously filled the role in Austin during the 2022 GameDay broadcast.
Across film and television, Powell’s credits include work in projects such as Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, Everybody Wants Some, Hidden Figures and Top Gun: Maverick, and he has earned ensemble recognition and individual nominations that have raised his profile.
That mix of Hollywood visibility and genuine hometown fandom makes him an easy on-air personality for a Texas crowd and a national audience alike.
GameDay hosting history and head-to-head context
| Event | Context |
|---|---|
| Texas hosting record | Texas will host College GameDay for the 11th time and carries a 5-5 record in previous hosting appearances. |
| Powell’s prior GameDay role | Powell was a guest picker in 2022 when the show was in Austin for the Alabama game. |
| Notable past Austin GameDay moments | GameDay was in Austin in 2006 for a Week 2 meeting with Ohio State, a game the Buckeyes won 24-7, and the last Austin GameDay broadcast before this was in 2024 for the Georgia game when Scottie Scheffler served as guest picker. |
GameDay exposure and Texas recruiting and CFP implications
College GameDay brings national attention that can amplify recruiting conversations in-state and across the country because high-profile broadcasts put prospects and boosters on the same stage as the program.
For Texas, a GameDay broadcast tied to a marquee nonconference opponent like Ohio State also reinforces the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff profile by spotlighting the program early in the season.
Even absent on-field outcomes, national television windows can accelerate recruiting momentum and increase roster visibility among transfer and high-school prospects watching marquee matchups.
