For those looking to turn Saturday's basketball game between Louisville and Memphis into a two-day extravaganza, there will be plenty of opportunity.
Three separate events will allow students to voice their school spirit - often to a national audience - throughout the weekend.
Each is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend - and to be as loud as possible.
"Cold Pizza"
Tomorrow morning, ESPN2's nationally televised morning show "Cold Pizza" will air live on campus.
The show will air from the Finch Center, the Tigers practice facility, from 7-9 a.m.
ESPN host and New York Post reporter Lynn Robbins will host the show and Cold Pizza correspondent Zach Liebowitz will report on festivities leading up to the game.
"In-studio" guests will include coach John Calipari, current Tiger Rodney Carney and U of M legend Elliot Perry.
"Cold Pizza" publicist Rosemary O'Brien said students should arrive at the Finch Center between 6 and 6:15 a.m. on Friday. She said the louder the students get, the better.
Producer Tony Burton is excited to bring the show to Memphis adding, "There's nothing better than walking onto a collage campus and doing a show."
College GameDay
Around the time Cold Pizza is wrapping up their show on campus, the corner of Beale St. and Third Ave. will be being transformed into a mobile studio set. According to Barry Sacks, senior coordinating producer for College GameDay, set building will start sometime in the morning on Friday.
The broadcast will be outdoors for the first time and will be located at FedExForum's main plaza. The decision to take the show into the elements is due to space limitations in the building. But Sacks is happy with the final location.
There's some allure to being on the corner of Beale Street," Sacks said. "There are some really nice shots."
From the Friday morning set-up until teardown Saturday night, fans are welcome to wander the area and check out the process. For anyone hoping for a little national exposure, however, there are specific times where attendance will be mandatory.
The first shots will be taped at 4 p.m. on Friday and will air on SportsCenter and ESPNews throughout the evening.
Live coverage begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and will include a piece with Tigers coach John Calipari. Rick Pitino will also drop by and tape a segment for the pre-game show, which will start at 7 p.m. And a final, wrap-up segment will begin at around 11 p.m.
All three live shows will last about an hour.
It's at these times that Memphis fans are encouraged to display their passion as creatively - and as loudly - as possible.
"That's really when we want the crowd to be loud, boisterous and generally terrific," Sacks said.
Saturday's stop in Memphis is just the sixth installment of the basketball version of GameDay. The show has been on location at college football games for years, but has just started college hoops coverage this season.
Chris Fowler, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps and Andy Katz will anchor the broadcasts. Fowler has hosted College GameDay's football broadcasts since 1990.
Memphis joins UCONN, Kansas, Syracuse, Maryland and Kentucky as GameDay hosts.
Tailgate on Beale Street
When you're not posing for the cameras at GameDay, check out the Tailgate on Beale Street produced by memphistigers.org. What began as a somewhat intimate gathering has ballooned into an all-day event that is open to the public. The party will begin in the parking lot across from the GameDay set at 9:30 a.m. Students are encouraged to come and enjoy free barbeque and enter to win numerous giveaways, including haircuts at SportClips and Calipari autographed basketballs.
There will also be 1,000 blue T-shirts available to the public, donated to the event by Champion Awards.
The location will make it convenient for attendees to congregate for the GameDay live spots and then return to the tailgate without missing a beat.
"We want to see a sea of blue," said U of M alumnus and event supporter John Stacy. "This could literally be a once in a lifetime opportunity, so let's put on a show."
