SALT LAKE CITY — For the fifth time in its 30-year history, ESPN College GameDay set up shop in Salt Lake City, ahead of a PAC-12 showdown between No. 13 Utah and No. 8 Oregon.
It marked the first time since 2016 that the show had been at the University of Utah.
Several people spent Friday night camping out ahead of getting in line for a spot in 'The Pit' early Saturday morning.
Gavin Tilev, a freshman at the University of Utah, couldn't wait to see what ESPN College GameDay had to offer.
"Just the experience, I like to root the Utah Utes and then all that type of stuff, you know, it's going be a good experience," said Tilev.
The front row was packed with Utes fans who were excited, to say the least, about getting to see the show live and up close.
In a sea of red, some Oregon Ducks fans, like Evan Jensen who lives in the Ogden area, could be found.
"Just the opportunity like, yeah, I mean, as a Ducks fan, everything's on the line, I mean, seeing this environment is just awesome," said Jensen.
For three hours, fans from both teams packed into Presidents Circle on the University of Utah campus to watch the show and see the special guests, like head coach Kyle Whittingham.
While the intense Pac-12 rivalry was top of mind, it was also a special occasion for some fans.
"It's my son, Brooks, it's my son's seventh birthday, so I got him out here for his seventh birthday to come experience College GameDay," said Creighton Lowe, a local Utes fan.
Lowe was joined by the rest of his family, as well as one of his best friends, Nick Smith, and his family.
"I just think it's national coverage, It gets everybody hyped, we have a gritty team and people want to show up," said Smith.
For Lowe and others, this wasn't just another game.
"We've had Pac-12 championship games against Oregon, there were some games here that were heartbreakers at Rice-Eccles Stadium, so they're the big dogs in the Pac-12 and we've been able to take them down several times," said Lowe.
Both teams will be leaving the Pac-12 after this season. Utah will be heading to the Big-12 Conference, while Oregon will switch over to the Big Ten.
Cody Erlei, his wife Bronte and son Wyatt made the trip from Eugene, Oregon to see their Ducks team play.
"Special occasion, we're pretty excited, yeah, last chance to do it," he said.
For the Erlei's, it was the first time they had been to Rice-Eccles Stadium to see a game.
"Just seeing the fans that show up and whether you're an Oregon fan or a Utah fan, just making the trip out here and being able to all be together and have this experience, it's just fun," Bronte said.
One fan told FOX 13 News on Saturday this matchup was just that much more special than in the past. That's because, unless these two teams meet in the Pac-12 Championship game, it is unclear when they will meet on the gridiron again after this season.
