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College GameDay announces Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk as guest picker for Florida at Miami

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs09/18/25grant_grubbs_
Tkachuk
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) hoist the Stanley Cup after game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk will be the guest picker on ESPN College GameDay this Saturday. The crew is traveling to Miami to cover the No. 4 Hurricanes’ showdown against in-state rival Florida.

Tkachuk has been instrumental in the Panthers winning the past two Stanley Cups. He is a two-time NHL All-Star and was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2023, an honor annually given to the league’s most valuable player.

Tkachuk is entering his fourth season with the Panthers after beginning his NHL career with the Calgary Flames. In 211 regular-season games with Florida, Tkachuk boasts 254 points (88 goals, 166 assists). He is the first NHL player to ever be a guest picker on College GameDay.

“It’s an honor,” Tkachuk said Thursday, per the Miami Herald. “Ever since coming down here to South Florida, I’ve been more into college football, but my love for it started years ago, visiting my buddy at Ole Miss. I’ve been a college football fan for a little while, but being the first NHL player to be given this honor of being on this grand stage and for the country to see my picks is going to be good.”

Tkachuk is the third celebrity guest pick to be on the weekly college football pregame show this season. Trae Young was on the show when it visited Oklahoma in Week 2. Candace Parker was the guest picker in Week 3 at Tennessee.

There was no celebrity guest picker in Week 1 because the show was honoring longtime host Lee Corso’s final appearance. The episode averaged 3.5 million viewers across ESPN and ESPNU, making it the most-watched episode in the show’s history.

Viewership also peaked at 5.1 million viewers in the final quarter hour, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals. Fans tuned in from across the globe to watch Corso make his final picks for that weekend’s slate of games.

Corso was a perfect 6-for-6 on his predictions. While Tkachuk will struggle to match Corso, he hopes to have some success from behind the College GameDay desk.

“Hopefully my picks hit. I love college football,” Tkachuk said. “I think College GameDay does an absolutely incredible job of growing the sport and grabbing the attention of a guy like me. I’m so excited and I’m so honored to be part of it.”

ESPN’s College GameDay will begin at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday and run until noon ET. Florida and Miami will square off at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ABC.