Aug. 11, 2011

ESPN's College GameDay Driven By State Farm will invade Memorial Gym for the first time on February 11, 2012, for the Commodores' matchup with Kentucky. Showtimes with Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis, and Bob Knight will be 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT at the SEC's most historic facility, with the game tipping at 8 p.m. CT.

"We are extremely excited to be a part of ESPN College GameDay," said Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings. "Memorial Gym should be a terrific venue to have GameDay. Our players and coaching staff are definitely looking forward to it, and I know our fans will enjoy it and represent us well. Having GameDay is a tribute to what our players have accomplished and the excitement they have generated about our program."

"With College GameDay and the Saturday Primetime franchise, we want to feature games that have conference championship and national implications. This game fits that bill. In addition, Vanderbilt is known for having passionate fans and a great atmosphere for college basketball, so we're excited to bring ESPN College GameDay to Memorial Gym for the first time," said Nick Dawson, director of ESPN programming and acquisitions.

Last season, the Vanderbilt men's and women's teams were a part of a historic men's and women's doubleheader at Tennessee. This season, college basketball fans nationwide will get a chance to see Memorial Gym up close and personal.

The Commodores' game with Kentucky on GameDay is the only SEC appearance on this year's schedule.

"We love bringing the show to new places," ESPN Gameday host Rece Davis said. "I'm particularly excited about coming to Vanderbilt. It's one of the most exciting and underrated venues in college basketball. People tend to think only of the benches being at the end of the court, but that's not the only thing that makes Vanderbilt unique. The crowd is basketball savvy. The tradition is rich. We can't wait to showcase the venue, the team and the program that Kevin Stallings has built. I expect Vanderbilt to be a contender in the SEC and nationally next season. We can't wait to give people an up close look at the Commodores."

Dana O'Neil with ESPN breaks down the Gameday matchups here, and here is the official release from the folks at ESPN.

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