Who will be 'College GameDay' guest picker for Indiana-Minnesota? Potential choices

ESPN’s “College GameDay” is heading to Bloomington, Indiana, for No. 4 Indiana vs. rising Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 31.

There weren’t many options for the popular pregame show to choose from in Week 9, with only one ranked matchup between No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 21 Arizona. “GameDay” has been to two consecutive Big 12 games, though, and had only traveled to one Big Ten campus this season, when it visited Ohio State at Iowa in Week 5.

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Minnesota will be a potentially tough matchup for the reigning national champions, too. The Golden Gophers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) are coming off a 13-10 win over Iowa, and have proven to have a strong defense outside of a 41-13 loss to Purdue on Oct. 10.

Indiana’s offense will need a better showing against Minnesota than it did against Michigan’s elite defense in Week 8, with the Hoosiers hanging on for a 13-6 win in overtime against an offensively inept Wolverines team.

“GameDay” has only been to Bloomington twice in the show’s history. Who will be the guest picker? Here are a few options for “College GameDay” in Week 9:

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp, from Seymour, Indiana, would likely be a top option for “College GameDay.” Mellencamp didn’t attend Indiana but is a huge Hoosiers fan, even appearing at Indiana-Northwestern on Sept. 25.

Johnny Cougar also made a surprise performance during Indiana’s national championship celebration in Bloomington, Indiana, in January. He’d certainly be a fan favorite among fans.

Go Hoosiers! #Hoosiers#Football#championship#miamipic.twitter.com/KR2Q17xqIF

— John Mellencamp (@johnmellencamp) January 19, 2026

Mark Cuban

Billionaire businessman and investor Mark Cuban might be the most well-known Hoosiers fan. The former Dallas Mavericks majority owner — he’s still a minority owner in the team — graduated from Indiana in 1981 and is a donor to not only the school, but also the football program.

Indiana’s rise to the top of college football has reinvigorated Cuban’s fandom and support of the program, as he also made multiple appearances at Indiana games last season during its College Football Playoff run.

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Victor Oladipo

An Indiana basketball legend, former Hoosiers guard Victor Oladipo would also be a good option for “College GameDay.”

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft not only played for Indiana, but also went on to star for the Pacers from 2017-21, earning two All-Star nods and an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2018 before injuries derailed his career.

In college, Oladipo was a first-team All-American and led Indiana to a Big Ten championship.

Antwaan Randle El

OG Indiana football star Antwaan Randle El could be another option. Randle El starred as Indiana’s quarterback from 1997-2001, earning first-team All-American status as a senior while finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Randle El then had a successful NFL career as a receiver, playing nine seasons with the Steelers and Commanders. He’s now the assistant head coach and receivers coach for the nearby Chicago Bears. They play on Monday night, which frees him up for a potential “GameDay” appearance.

Jesse Eisenberg

Hollywood star Jesse Eisenberg prefers living in Indiana rather than California. The Academy Award-nominated actor and director is a huge Indiana fan, despite not growing up in the state or attending the school.

Eisenberg donned an IU hat in his directorial debut “A Real Pain,” is an alumnus of the Bloomington Playwrights Project and has also volunteered with Middle Way House, a crisis intervention service in Bloomington. His wife, Anna Strout, also grew up in Bloomington.

Eisenberg would be a bit of an off-base choice, especially since his personality would likely clash with Pat McAfee and the rest of the “GameDay” crew. Maybe he’d put up with it for his Hoosiers, though.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will be ‘College GameDay’ guest picker for Indiana-Minnesota? Potential choices