ESPN College GameDay Is Coming to the Palestra for Temple-La Salle on Jan. 18

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Get your mascot heads (and other team-affiliated items) ready.

After rumors started to float last week, it was made official Wednesday morning that ESPN's College GameDay pregame show will be coming to Philadelphia on Jan. 18 when Temple and La Salle meet at the Palestra.

Rece Davis, Jay Bilas (who will have taken down the NCAA's regular website by then), Digger Phelps and Jalen Rose start at 10 a.m.

The game tips off at Noon, and will conclude something ESPN is calling the "My Home Court" initiative, which aims to celebrate great college venues.

Then there's this little scheduling note:

In addition to this year's La Salle-Temple game being played at The Palestra, both schools agreed that the 2014-15 edition will also be played at The Palestra. La Salle will be the home team this season with Temple hosting in 2014-15. The schools agreed to bring the game to The Palestra for two straight seasons for the opportunity to bring ESPN GameDay to Philadelphia.

Temple and La Salle haven't played at the Palestra since January 1989 -- that's a span of time older than all the kids who will packing the student section. Speaking of which, tickets for the game will be evenly distributed between the schools, as will the space behind the Gameday set, so we can all hold up outlandish signs with the hopes of getting a screencap on Deadspin.

Update: From Penn basketball ...

Dunphy:

"This is a great opportunity to showcase Temple Basketball and the Philadelphia Big 5 to a national television audience," said Temple men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy. "It is a win-win for the city, as well as for both programs."

Giannini:

"All college basketball fans watch College GameDay," La Salle head coach Dr. John Giannini said. "It's a great honor and opportunity to be chosen from all the nation's games to have ESPN's coverage.

"The nation will see a great game in the most historic building in all of college basketball between two strong and tradition-rich rivals. It will also show fans everywhere the unmatched uniqueness of Philadelphia Big5 basketball."

Quick, somebody organize a postgame party and invite Jalen Rose. Afterwards, we'll all go try to find Spencer Hawes' TV.

I know Lee Corso isn't on the basketball version of the program, but right now seems as good a time as any for these:

>>Temple release
>>La Salle release

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