Actor, comedian and Penn State alumnus Keegan-Michael Key will return to his alma mater on Saturday to serve as the celebrity guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast before the Nittany Lions’ game against Ohio State, the network announced on Thursday.
It will be the fourth time Key has appeared on the college football pregame show. He served as guest picker for the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game and 2018 Penn State-Ohio State game, and turned up on a 2017 broadcast to deliver his impersonation of Penn State coach James Franklin.
Best known for his work on Comedy Central’s “Key and Peele,” Key’s Franklin impression also served him well as a guest coach for Penn State’s 2018 Blue-White Game.
GameDay will air live from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday outside Gate C of the Bryce Jordan Center before moving inside of Beaver Stadium for the final half hour.
FOX, which will broadcast the noon game, is also bringing its Big Noon Kickoff show to Penn State on Saturday. It will air live from Bryce Jordan Center Gate B from 10 to 11:30 a.m., before moving to the Gate B concourse in Beaver Stadium.
The network announced on Thursday that DJ/producer duo Two Friends will perform as part of Big Noon Kickoff, starting at 9 a.m. during the show’s pre-game tailgate.
Saturday’s matchup between No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State is firmly in the national spotlight.
It’s the first time Penn State has hosted the FOX and ESPN pregame shows at the same time. CBS Sports college football analyst Josh Pate is also bringing his “Whole New Saturday Tour” to Happy Valley on Saturday.
And while Donald Trump won’t be making an appearance, former Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce said on the podcast he hosts with his brother Travis that he will be in attendance for the game. MeatEater, the outdoor lifestyle media company with a show on Netflix, will also be hosting a tailgate at Penn State on Saturday.
