ATHENS, GA — On ESPN’s college football show, a Washington State flag has been present at nearly every show. It’s been dubbed “Ol’ Crimson” and has become just as synonymous with college football as Lee Corso putting on a mascot head every Saturday morning in fall. 

Ahead of Saturday’s top 10 clash between No. 3 UGA and No. 7 Notre Dame, another flagpole was seen next to the WSU flag. Only this flagpole had two flags on it — a blue GS flag and a yellow vintage Georgia Southern flag.

The owner was Brian Williams who was attending his third College Gameday.

“I noticed at the beginning of the season that UGA and Notre Dame were playing in Athens the week of our bye,” Williams said. “Due to the size of the game I had a feeling that Gameday would come in town.”

Williams set up shop on the UGA campus around 6:30, more than two hours before the show started. The GS grad attended the show in 2017 and then last season in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.

The show before the classic between UGA and Alabama was moved inside because of the weather conditions.

This year, Williams showed up to the set by himself, but wasn’t alone in his GS fandom.

“There were several Georgia Southern signs in the crowd and I ran into a few Eagle students and alumni enjoying their off week in Athens,” he said.

After the show, Williams joined his family for a day at Stone Mountain Park. 

This wasn’t the first time GS fans were shown on Gameday and Williams is confident it won’t be the last time. 

“The ultimate goal would be to bring Gameday to Statesboro some day,” he said. “I have always enjoyed seeing our school represented on Gameday by our fans so every now and then, I like to share that feeling with other Eagles.”

McClain Baxley, The George-Anne Editor-in-Chief, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu