Fans packed into Pittsburgh’s North Shore Saturday morning, turning the riverfront into a roaring sea of blue, gold and homemade signs as ESPN’s “College GameDay” fired up its broadcast ahead of the Pitt–Notre Dame showdown at Acrisure Stadium.

Music blasted, the Pitt marching band rallied into formation and crowds erupted as host and Plum native Pat McAfee opened the show at 9 a.m. outside of the stadium.

“Welcome to beautiful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” McAfee said. ”Everybody’s who’s from here is proud from being from here. Shout out to Pittsburgh, shout out to Pitt.”

Students in bright orange Home Depot hard hats packed against the stage railings, shouting and waving homemade signs. Some lined up Friday afternoon and camped out overnight to secure a prime viewing spot on the Great Lawn outside Acrisure Stadium.

University of Pittsburgh senior Maggie Galvin took it all in.

“It’s very memorable, once in a lifetime,” said Galvin, 22, of Pottstown. ”I’ve never seen it like this. This is an exciting opportunity for Pitt to experience such a big game.”

Diehard Notre Dame fan Marc Krigstein, 49, of Garnet Valley in eastern Pennsylvania, joined in the festivities. He and family members arrived at the Great Lawn around 7 a.m. They paid $2,200 for a weekend Airbnb nearby.

“It’s been fantastic so far,” he said. “The backdrop is fantastic. It’s just a cool city — really good vibes.”