Shaquille O'Neal always finds a way to get himself on screen, even when he is not officially a part of the broadcast. During the pivotal Week 7 SEC matchup between LSU and Ole Miss, O'Neal traveled down to his alma mater to witness the game in person and found his way onto the ESPN broadcast.
While sideline reporter Molly McGrath was shooting an in-game segment, O'Neal positioned himself behind her to be visible on the camera. McGrath later responded to the viral clip on X, formerly Twitter, saying she knew someone was behind her but did not know it was the NBA Hall of Famer.
LSU wound up winning the game at home in overtime, edging the Rebels 29-26. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns while star wideout Kyren Lacy accounted for five catches, 111 receiving yards and a score.
O'Neal, a graduate of LSU in 2000, notable attended the school from 1989 to 1992 as the star of the Tigers' basketball team alongside Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, then known as Chris Jackson, and Vernel Singleton. He declared for the NBA draft a year early but continued to pursue his degree with the school while playing in the league.
Since retiring from basketball in 2011, O'Neal has remained at the forefront of sports fans' minds as a television personality. The four-time champion chose to sign with TNT Sports over ESPN, where he remains a central part of the Inside the NBA show for at least one more season.
ESPN confirms College Gameday site for Week 8
Before Week 7 was even over, ESPN knew where they wanted to shoot the next edition of College Gameday. To no surprise, the show chose Austin as their next destination for the top-five clash between No. 1-ranked Texas and No. 5-ranked Georgia.
The College Gameday crew that typically consists of Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee is expected to all be present for the Week 8 edition. The game is set for prime time with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET locally.
Once the game begins, it will be broadcasted on ABC through ESPN with the broadcasting crew to be announced later in the week. McGrath is a candidate to work the game as one of the primary college football sideline reporters for ESPN.
It is safe to say O'Neal will not be in the stadium for that game but at this point, nobody can be sure.