Matthew Tkachuk may be the engine behind the Florida Panthers winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, but he is a also a college football fan.
"I did do homework for the first time since I think ninth grade."
Matthew Tkachuk is ready for his College GameDay debut 🤓🔥 pic.twitter.com/NbL2unW1Fm
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 20, 2025
Tkachuk was on the Game Day set Saturday morning in Miami displaying his college football fandom and picking winners in the upcoming games. The Panthers' stalwart is the first NHL player to appear on the popular pregame show and he was not afraid to pick several winners as he sat to the right of long-time college football expert analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
The power forward is unable to practice with his Panthers teammates as training camp gets underway. He had offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and repair a sports hernia. If his recovery goes well, he could be back playing for the Panthers in December. He also has plans to play on the U.S. team in the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy in February.
Since he can't prepare for the season with his teammates, he was quite happy to represent his team and the NHL and display his knowledge in college football. He said he did homework “for the first time since 9th grade” in order to sound knowledgeable when he made his selections.
Tkachuk picks hometown Hurricanes
Tkachuk may have done some preparation work so he could make a good impression on the other Game Day panelists as well as the television audience, but it was easy for him to select the Miami Hurricanes to beat the Florida Gators when the two teams meet in South Florida Saturday evening. The undefeated Hurricanes (3-0) are 7.5-point favorites over the Gators (1-2).
The 27-year-old winger wore a Miami Hurricanes t-shirt and made his pick with enthusiasm. “It is all Canes, all day, baby,” Tkachuk said.
He also suggested that Syracuse, Missouri, Florida State, Oklahoma, TCU, Illinois, Michigan and Utah would all find a way to win their college football matchups.
