ESPN College GameDay Guest Picker Revealed for Duke vs. Notre Dame in Durham

Actor and comedian Ken Jeong, known for his roles in "The Hangover" and "Crazy Rich Asians," will join ESPN's College GameDay set on Saturday as the guest picker. Jeong, a Duke graduate, will be on campus ahead of the football game between Duke and Notre Dame.

ESPN's College GameDay is set to feature a special guest on Saturday, as actor, comedian, and Duke graduate Ken Jeong joins the set. The network chose Jeong to serve as the guest picker for the football pregame broadcasts from Duke's campus. This comes ahead of the highly anticipated football game between No. 17 Duke and No. 11 Notre Dame at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Jeong, who is 54 years old, received his undergraduate degree from Duke in 1990. He is best known for his role as Mr. Chow in the popular movie "The Hangover" and its sequels. He has also appeared in other notable movies such as "Crazy Rich Asians," "Knocked Up," and "Couples Retreat." In addition to his work in film, Jeong has contributed his voice to animated films like "Despicable Me" and "Penguins of Madagascar."

Beyond his successful acting career, Jeong currently serves as a judge on Fox's "The Masked Singer." He previously appeared in NBC's "Community" from 2009 to 2015 and starred in the ABC comedy "Dr. Ken" from 2015 to 2017.

Jeong's journey to stardom began in Detroit, where he was born, and Greensboro, where he was raised. He later attended UNC-Chapel Hill Medical School, graduating in 1995 and practicing as a physician in California before transitioning to full-time acting. Interestingly, Jeong's foray into comedy started during his time in medical school, performing stand-up at clubs in Raleigh and Durham.

Despite his move to California, Jeong has maintained a connection to Duke and has occasionally returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium for Duke basketball games over the years.

ESPN's College GameDay will be broadcasting from Duke's campus on Saturday, specifically from the Abele Quad in front of Duke Chapel on Duke's West Campus. The show, which will be aired on ESPN and ESPNU, will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Spectators can begin to take their places in the pit area directly behind the stage starting at 7 a.m.

Interestingly, in an online poll conducted by the News & Observer, readers expressed a preference for Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to fill the guest picker role. However, Jeong still garnered significant support, receiving 25% of the votes cast. Other notable contenders included Jay Bilas, Jerry Seinfeld, and Steve Spurrier.

It is worth noting that this is the first time the football version of ESPN's popular GameDay television show is broadcasting from Duke. The network has previously aired basketball GameDay shows from Duke on 12 different occasions. Additionally, this marks only the third time the football GameDay show has broadcasted from a campus in the Triangle area, with previous appearances in 1997 for a North Carolina vs. Florida State game and in 2004 for an N.C. State game against Miami.

ESPN's GameDay show has come a long way since its inception in 1987 as a studio show. It transitioned to live broadcasts from campus sites in 1993 and has since become a beloved tradition for college football fans across the nation.

Share With Others