At least there’s no concert this weekend…
North Carolina native Eric Church was just announced as the special guest on ESPN’s College GameDay (the college basketball edition) this weekend, as they head to Chapel Hill for what’s always a heated Tobacco Road rivalry game between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels.
He’ll join the set live to discuss the game, the college basketball season as a whole, and much more…
And I’m sure they’ll have to ask him about that wild Final Four game he witnessed in-person between the longtime rivals last year, too.
The game will be broadcast at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN Saturday evening.
If you recall during last year’s March Madness tournament, Eric canceled a concert in San Antonio, Texas pretty last minute to attend the game with his family, after he realized the two longtime, arch-rivals would be facing off in the semi-final round for the first time ever.
Of course, fans who were supposed to be at that concert were rightfully pissed, though Eric did his best to make it up to them with two free shows last September for all of the fans he cancelled on.
Eric’s an Appalachian State grad, but unfortunately, also a die-hard Carolina fan (I can say that because I’m an App State alum, too), so it was a natural pick for ESPN to have him on the show. I think we already know who he has winning this game, too.
He previously joined as a guest picker for the flagship college football edition of GameDay back in 2019.
Eric is also gearing up to hit the road for his The Outsiders Revival Tour this summer, and luckily all of his festival dates and shows don’t start until well after the tournament is over, kicking off his 2023 run on April 14th.
Though Eric was (kind of) saved from eternal scorn when the Tar Heels managed to advance to the National Championship game (and lose to Kansas) in 2022, I have a feeling the 2023 tour scheduling was planned very intentionally this year…
Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
April 14*   Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Fort Lauderdale Beach Park        Tortuga Music Festival
June 16*    Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo              Rogue Music Festival
June 17*    Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds         Country Summer Music Festival
June 22     Milwaukee, Wisc. / AF Insurance Amphitheater          Elle King
June 23     Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24     Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29     Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                 Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30     Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                 Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Virginia Beach, Va. /Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6      Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                    Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7      Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                    Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8      Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake               Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14     Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center              Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15     St Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre          Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 23*    Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds           North Dakota State Fair
July 27Â Â Â Â Â Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28     Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                      Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29     Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater        Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4      Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park          Cody Jinks
Aug. 5      Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                         Cody Jinks
Aug. 11     Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                Cody Jinks
Aug. 12     Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre           Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*   Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds            Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17     Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater          Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18     Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater          Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19     Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater          Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24     Sarasota Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25     Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                 Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26     Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion         Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8     Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater      Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9     George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                 Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10    George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15    Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater             Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16    Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre      Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21    Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre             Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22    Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre             Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23    Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                 Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24    Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                 Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29    West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre   Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30    Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre   Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*     Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway               Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*   Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                  GoldenSky Festival
