Fans already wait to see where their beloved College Gameday will hit next. ESPN’s flagship show will return to Lubbock after a 17-year wait as the Texas Tech Raiders will face the BYU Cougars. But in addition to the star-studded panel featuring Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, Lubbock will host the NFL G.O.A.T. and alum Patrick Mahomes this Saturday. As the news became official, Joey McGuire gave a special shout-out.

It was just last year when the Red Raiders, in collaboration with Mahomes and apparel brand Adidas, released a Mahomes-inspired uniform, nicknamed “Mahomes Strategy.” Continuing the uniform series, in September, the Raiders unveiled a new uniform called ‘Too Cold.’ The program is all set to wear their new stripes. “It’s our second alternative uniform for him, and then next year we go totally to his logo,” McGuire said on GunsUpRadio.

“Taking inspiration from the program’s history, it carries through Mahomes’ iconic Gladiator logo from 2024.”Instead of the 3 stripes, it’ll be the Patrick Mahomes Gladiator.” The Mahomes-Adidad-Texas Tech collaboration was the first of its kind, when an athlete’s personal brand was stitched on official on-field apparel.

“Seeing my own logo on the Texas Tech uniform I put so much blood, sweat and tears in is one of the most meaningful off-field accomplishments of my career,” Mahomes had beamed. It is the bye-week stretch for the Chiefs, and McGuire and the roster can’t contain their excitement when the Chiefs watch them play. “I’m fired up to see him,” McGuire added.

The Mahomes madness is not about a player leading the Chiefs to three Super Bowl rings. It’s his journey that serves as an inspiration to millions. As a three-star recruit from Whitehouse, recruiters missed out on his talent; he had received just three collegiate offers, and the Raiders were one of them. Passionate about playing basketball and baseball, he didn’t fully commit to football until his junior year, but his dual-threat skills spoke for themselves, as his name is etched in the record books.

Mahomes broke the NCAA FBS record for single-game total offense with 819 yards, tied the NCAA record for most passing yards in one game with 734, and came one attempt short of tying the all-time single-game record with 88. That’s why his homecoming is special. The Chiefs’ star quarterback played three seasons for the Red Raiders (2014-16) and donated $5 million to the program just last year, naming rights on their new football facility included.

In 2022, he was inducted into the Texas Tech Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame and was recently inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. So, Mahomes will be coming back not just as an alum, but also as a ‘Guest Picker’.

Patrick Mahomes returns to alma mater

Even before Lubbock officially became the destination, Kirk Herbstreit was dropping multiple hints. He explained that Texas Tech had to beat the Wildcats and cement their place as the host. Additionally, he knew Mahomes and the Chiefs have a bye week, so ESPN will pull some strings to make week 11 of College Gameday a must-see.  “So, what I am saying is, when Kansas State wins this game, it’s just with the football gods. It’s not our fault,” Herbstreit said. “We wanna go to Lubbock. But they’re gonna lose today because we want to go. But I’m picking Texas Tech.”

GameDay chases the juiciest storylines: the biggest underdogs making it big. But the Mahomes Madness led them to break that mold. Not that the Raiders are not having a good season. An 8-1 record, and they are making ripples across the Big 12. But it was the Mahomes factor that had even veteran analyst Kirk Herbstreit get all fired up.

Even fans knew the delicious payoff of the Raiders beating Kansas State. Online betting listed GameDay sitting at whopping 80% odds for the BYU-Texas Tech game, which would end the 17-year drought. Pumped up with the excitement of getting Mahomes back to his old turf, the Raiders defeated Kansas State, 43-20, and achieved their goal. “Come on now, you know @PatrickMahomes had to come back to Lubbock to be this weekend’s guest picker 🔥,” GameDay wrote on X. Now, Lubbock is all set to welcome its former star player.