MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Beale Street was bursting at the seams Saturday morning as thousands of people made their way to the iconic street for ESPN’s College GameDay.
The Bluff City didn’t disappoint in Memphis’ first-ever College GameDay, showing Memphians know how to host a Beale Street block party.
“We love college football, and we just want to see the big Memphis game,” fan Alex Massey said.
But as we quickly learned, Memphis fans are not only challenging SMU on the gridiron, but also the grill.
“Memphis barbecue is the best in the nation, so I had to make sure Dallas knew that, too,” said Memphis fan Jeff Massey, whose GameDay sign displayed the same sentiment.
The welcome for SMU fans in Memphis, much like the weather, was cold.
“We are coming out here to show them we are ready, and we are not scared,” SMU fan Trimiesia Young said. “We are here to join the party, and we are here to take home a win.”
But on Saturday, both sides could agree that having the teams battle it out on a national stage is huge.
“This is a twofer: its great for the University of Memphis football program, but this is also a multi-million dollar day for the city of Memphis,” said Kevin Kane, CEO of the Memphis Tourism.
The Beale Street bash had it all — plenty of sporting predictions, sprinkled with a dash of smack-talk.
The Memphis vs. SMU game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.