'College GameDay' announces NFL draft coverage schedule

TL;DR

ESPN's 'College GameDay' will cover the 2026 NFL draft live from Pittsburgh, featuring a two-hour show on April 23 and another hour on April 24. Key guests include projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and several prominent coaches.

Key points

College GameDay will cover the 2026 NFL draft live from Pittsburgh
Two-hour show on April 23 and one-hour show on April 24
Guests include projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and several coaches

Mentioned in this story

ESPNPittsburghRyan DayMario CristobalMarcus Freeman

NFL Draft 2026Fernando Mendoza

ESPN's "College GameDay" will be onsite for the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. GameDay is returning to Pittsburgh for the first time since the crew attended the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers game during the fall (on Nov. 15, 2025).

GameDay has a two-hour predraft show on Thursday, April 23 from 5 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. The first-round of the draft starts at 8 p.m. on Thursday night. Fans can watch GameDay on ESPN. The draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

GameDay will have another show on Friday, April 24 for an hour starting at 5 p.m. Day 2 of the draft starts at 7 p.m. on Friday and is the second- and third-round of the draft.

Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and Nick Saban will be in Pittsburgh for GameDay. Pat McAfee will not be part of the coverage. Additionally, Pete Thamel, Jen Lada and Pete Thamel will all help provide coverage. Fans will be able to watch the GameDay team during the draft on Thursday and Friday.

Guests joining GameDay's draft coverage include Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the projected No. 1 pick, Ohio State coach Ryan Day, Miami coach Mario Cristobal and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

GameDay's NFL draft schedule

A view of the ESPN "College GameDay" desk

Thursday, April 23: predraft coverage from 5-7 p.m. ET on ESPN with live draft coverage on ABC
Friday, April 24: predraft coverage from 5-6 p.m. ET on ESPN with live draft coverage on ABC

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Q&A

What is the schedule for College GameDay's NFL draft coverage in 2026?

College GameDay will air a two-hour show on April 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET and an hour show on April 24 starting at 5 p.m. ET.

Who are the guests featured on College GameDay's NFL draft coverage?

Guests include Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State coach Ryan Day, Miami coach Mario Cristobal, and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

Where will the 2026 NFL draft take place?

The 2026 NFL draft will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.