Excited Cal Fans Crash Gates for ESPN’s "College GameDay" Debut

## Excited Cal Fans Crash Gates for ESPN’s "College GameDay" Debut

## Thousands of exuberant California Golden Bears fans breached barricades set up for the ESPN’s "College GameDay" ahead of the team’s first home ACC clash, creating a scene of chaos as the gates were officially opened at Memorial Glade on campus.

Excited Cal Fans Crash Gates for ESPN’s "College GameDay" Debut

### Main Article

On Saturday morning, the "College GameDay" crew arrived at the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, for the first time ever, and the excitement among Cal fans reached fever pitch. Eager to witness the renowned pregame show, thousands of fans gathered outside Memorial Glade, clamoring to be part of the historic occasion.

Excited Cal Fans Crash Gates for ESPN’s "College GameDay" Debut

However, the enthusiasm proved to be too overwhelming for the security measures in place. As the official opening of the gates approached, a group of fans broke through the barricades, creating a scene of chaos. Videos shared on social media captured the moment when fans surged forward, overwhelming the security personnel who struggled to contain the crowd.

Avinash Kunnath of "Write For California" described the scene as "complete chaos," noting that there were not enough security officers to manage the massive crowd. Kunnath shared a second video showing a "second wave" of fans breaking through the fences, estimating the crowd size to be in the "thousands" at around midnight.

Excited Cal Fans Crash Gates for ESPN’s "College GameDay" Debut

The excitement among Cal fans was palpable, as they eagerly anticipated the arrival of ESPN's renowned football analysts including Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit. The show's presence at Cal marked a significant recognition for the university and its football program.

This year, Cal will host No. 8-ranked Miami in a rare trip for the Hurricanes. In their only previous visit to Berkeley in 1990, Miami won 52-24. They beat Nebraska in the Rose Bowl to claim the 2001 national championship and are 2-1 in road games against San Diego State.

Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza expressed his excitement about the opportunity to play in front of such a large audience and against a top-ranked team. "Opportunities like this don’t come often, especially with all the bells and whistles of ‘GameDay’ coming and Miami being a top-10 team in the nation," Mendoza said.

A win for Cal would mark the team's first ACC win in their first home game in their new conference. Cal also seeks its first win against a ranked team since beating No. 21 Oregon in 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.