ESPN College GameDay hosts senator Ted Cruz during Austin broadcast
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 12, 2026, 2:30 PM
Last updated Sep 12, 2026
ESPN featured United States senator Ted Cruz in a ten-minute interview on the College GameDay set in Austin, Texas, on September 12, 2026. The appearance occurred during the program's coverage leading into the Texas and Ohio State game. During the segment with host Rece Davis, Cruz discussed the Protect College Sports Act, a legislative proposal he sponsors. The broadcast audience at the venue reacted to the interview with chants and boos directed at the senator. This follows a previous College GameDay segment featuring Nick Saban and Pat McAfee, who also advocated for the passage of the same stalled federal legislation. The network's decision to provide airtime for the political interview has drawn public scrutiny regarding the station's approach to neutrality in its sports programming.
- •Senator Ted Cruz sat for a ten-minute interview with Rece Davis in Austin.
- •The segment focused on the Protect College Sports Act, a bill currently stalled in Congress.
- •Crowds at the College GameDay set chanted and booed throughout the interview.
- •Nick Saban and Pat McAfee previously advocated for the same legislation on the program.
- •The network faces scrutiny for hosting a one-sided political platform during a major college football broadcast.
- 2:30 PMYahoo Sports — ‘College GameDay’ interviews Ted Cruz in latest political advocacy
"For a second consecutive week, College GameDay added political activism to previewing the top college football games of the weekend. Last week, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee went political by advocating for the passage of the Protect College Sports Act that is currently stalled in Congress. Saban is a spokesperson for the advocacy group that is…
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