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PROVO -- The ESPN College GameDay crew is in Provo filming segments for their live broadcast Saturday morning. BYU Police Lt. Arnold Lemon says they've been putting extra officers in the area for crowd control.
"For our operation alone we are plugging in an additional 400 man hours starting [Thursday] through Saturday," he said.
BYU-TCU showdown in national spotlight
Saturday's showdown between BYU and TCU pits two top 20 teams against each other in front of a strong BYU fan base and now a national audience. Football fans from around the country will understand what's at stake now that ESPN's GameDay is traveling to Provo.BYU fans anxious to be seen on Saturday's broadcast set up camp at Lavell Edwards Stadium on Friday. Some were in tents while others were just sleeping on blankets on the pavement.
The fans said it was worth it to show support for their team. A few hundred were at the ESPN set during the noon hour Friday while some prerecorded segments of the show were filmed.
ESPN security will allow 200 fans to be inside their secured area near the stage. Everyone else will be able to roam the public areas around the area with their flags and signs.
"There is a lot of excitement both within the university, within the state, and outside the state," Lemon said. "We are told there are people, a culture, who follows [GameDay] wherever they go."
BYU police are expecting other area schools to also try and get their fans on TV during the broadcast. They've received a letter saying it's possible some busses might be pulling in full of Utah fans.
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
