Nick Saban says BYU created an environment for ‘College GameDay’ like he’s never seen

The No. 8 BYU Cougars had themselves quite a weekend last week, hosting ESPN’s College GameDay for the first time since 2009 ahead of their matchup with No. 2 Notre Dame.

The crowd was electric all day in Provo, and there was plenty to celebrate, from the student that won $3 million in Pat McAfee’s kicking contest, to the game itself, which the Cougars held on to win 28–24 in dramatic, if controversial, fashion. That win boosted the Cougars all the way to No. 2 in the nation, and they should be a lock to make the College Football Playoff barring a total collapse over the final stretch of the season.

Speaking on McAfee’s show on Friday, former coach turned GameDay analyst Nick Saban said BYU put together one of the most impressive game environments he’s ever seen. Saban had special praise for Cougars coach Kalani Sitake, whose confidence and poise Saban believed was rubbing off on his players.

“This is the third [year], and that was the most excitement and energy and passion that I’ve seen in college football since I’ve been on the show,” Saban said. “The leadership there, the coach, he’s dancing before the freaking game. I see that kind of confidence, and I didn’t see a lot of guys that were tight or had a lot of anxiety, the way they went out there and played and competed in the game. I think that’s a reflection of his leadership and the way he goes about coaching his team and the confidence they have in themselves.”

McAfee praised the crowd for the sustained energy they brought all weekend, noting that the student body reached that impressive level of hype while “100% stone-cold sober.” Saban didn’t get into the relative sobriety of the crowd, but had nothing but praise for the scene they created on Saturday.

“It was exciting,” Saban said. “It was fun. The crowd was great. The atmosphere around it. And the game was great. It was a great football game to watch. BYU won, but it was a great thing to watch.”

“That was the most excitement and passion that I’ve seen since I’ve been on College GameDay..

That BYU team plays with so much confidence and it starts with Coach Sitake” ~ Coach Saban

#PMSLive https://t.co/n7HFNjjCh0

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 23, 2026

Saban, McAfee, and the rest of the College GameDay team could be in for another special episode this Saturday as the show stays in the state, heading to Salt Lake City to broadcast ahead of a game between No. 10 Utah and No. 14 Houston. The Utes are hosting for the third time in the past four years, with a 1–1 record in those games.