Penn State Legend LaVar Arrington Gets the Call From ESPN's College GameDay

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 6:15 PM ET

LaVar Arirngton, Penn State's Hall of Fame linebacker whose son now plays for the Nittany Lions, will be the guest picker for ESPN's College GameDay broadcast before Saturday's Penn State-Oregon game. Arrington will punctuate GameDay's pre-game coverage that will include an interview with Penn State coach James Franklin and a visit with the national champion women's volleyball team.

ESPN College GameDay will air live from 9 a.m. to noon ET Saturday from the Old Main lawn on Penn State's campus. Host Rece Davis will be joined by Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee and Desmond Howard.

Arrington, the legendary Penn State linebacker inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022, was a two-time All-American and No. 2 overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. He is Penn State to the core. Two of his kids attend the university, another is named Penn and he got a tattoo of a Nittany Lion when he committed to the program as a high school junior.

"I don't take being a Penn Stater lightly," Arrington said in a 2024 interview.

Since retiring from the NFL, Arrington has built the media business "Disruput U PSU," does radio and television appearances and partnered with Penn State on an NIL initiative. His company helps Penn State athletes generate NIL deals through content creation.

"I love Penn State and I want to see Penn State flourish," Arrington said in the 2024 interview. "And I want to work to hopefully create new opportunities to push our university forward. If we're improving athletics and the football team, that's a tide that lifts all ships. That improves our economy in State College. It makes us more relevant. It's a great stimulus for all of us if we can pull this off."

Arrington's son LaVar II is a freshman linebacker for the Nittany Lions and wears the same No. 11 that his father made a brand among Penn State linebackers. Penn State coach James Franklin said recently that LaVar Arrington II "looks good in that 11, too. I don't know why."

ESPN College GameDay details weekend plans

Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The GameDay crew will return to the Old Main campus location after broadcasting outside Beaver Stadium for the Penn State-Ohio State game in 2024. According to a news release, members of the Penn State women's volleyball team, which won the 2024 national championship, will appear on set. Women's volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley won the Jimmy V Award For Perseverance at the 2025 ESPY Awards.

Franklin is scheduled to make a live appearance on GameDay as is Ellie Sheehan, who this year became the first female drum major for the Penn State Blue Band. McAfee also choose a fan to attempt a 33-yard field goal.

Fans seeking to attend the GameDay broadcast can begin lining up at 5:30 a.m., according to a Penn State news release. The "pit" on the GameDay broadcast site will open at 6:45 a.m. The GameDay location is 1.3 miles from Beaver Stadium.

No. 3 Penn State will host No. 6 Oregon for the White Out. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET on NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night. The matchup is just the second in White Out history featuring teams ranked in the AP top 10.

This article first appeared on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: