While Kansas' men's basketball team charges into Columbia, Mo., today, perhaps for the final time, ESPN's "College GameDay'' rolls in for the first time.

"GameDay’’ serves as a lead-in to ESPN’s all-day coverage of college basketball, and much like the football version of the program that made its first trip to MU in October 2010 before the Tigers’ upset of No. 1 Oklahoma, a raucous setting is expected today as students and fans will be in Mizzou Arena to provide a boisterous backdrop for the program.

"I’ve been looking forward to it since the beginning of the season,’’ Rece Davis, in his eighth season as the show’s host, said this week. "I’ve never been to Columbia, so this should be a lot of fun."

The show begins at 9 a.m. on ESPNU, then moves to ESPN at 10 o’clock for another hour. Davis will be joined on the set, which will be on the Mizzou Arena floor, by analysts Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps and Hubert Davis. They will provide features and news about the game, including a piece on MU guard Kim English and some of the obstacles he has overcome.

"I couldn’t talk when I was younger because of a speech impediment that — that haunted me," English says in the segment that is to air in the 10 a.m. hour. "I couldn’t hold a sentence — I couldn’t hold a conversation unless I was 100 percent comfortable around you."

"GameDay’’ also is to reflect on the MU-KU rivalry and conference realignment tied to the Tigers’ pending move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference. The show also previews other key games and college basketball storylines around the country.

"It’s difficult to get fans from different regions to get excited about games outside their region, so we have to find the balance," Davis said. "It’s a balancing act we go through every week."

The crew returns on ESPN at 7 p.m. to review the afternoon action from around the nation and set the stage for the MU-KU game, which starts at 8. Dan Sulman has the play-by-play assignment and Dick Vitale fills the analyst role.

The student element inside the arena for "GameDay’’ adds energy to the production, which sets it apart from a studio program. And the first trip for the program to an arena is the best situation, show producer Tom Engle said.

"People always ask, ‘Where’s your favorite place to go?’ he said. "The answers always is, ‘A place we haven’t’ been before."

A large crowd is expected at Mizzou.

"Part of the excitement is never knowing how many people will be there," Engle said. "It could be a thousand, it could be 15,000. That anticipation of the buildup always is fun, to see what the turnout is. Usually when we’re there for the first time, they come out in droves so we’re hoping that’s the case."

He said the fact that it will be the show’s initial trip for basketball to Mizzou, plus the fact the game pairs two highly ranked teams, should make for a standout day.

"It’s the biggest game of the weekend, but not the only game," Engle said, referring to juggling to include the right mix of material about the MU-KU contest with other college basketball coverage. "We don’t want to lose the crowd, but we do need to serve the fans at home."

But when the focus is elsewhere, it shouldn’t be long until the attention returns to fans in Mizzou Arena.

"There will be cutaways to the crowd throughout the show," Engle said. "When you have a captive audience like that, you need to keep them entertained."

If the "GameDay’’ appearance at MU for football is any indication, there should be plenty of enthusiasm in the basketball setting. That football show pulled an estimated 18,000 revelers to Francis Quadrangle, which ESPN says is the largest crowd that show has ever drawn.

"It was awesome, one of the best scenes of the year," said Engle, who also works on the football version of "GameDay.’’

And on Friday students already were camping out to get in Mizzou Arena, which is to open at 7 a.m. That would be good for the show, which has drawn some smaller-than-usual crowds this season.

"I think it will be an electric atmosphere there," Engle said.

That would please those on the set.

"When there’s a little more juice in the crowd it helps,’’ Davis said. "It’s very satisfying to get students believing in their program. I’m not going to deny there is a lot of adrenaline and energy being in front of a crowd that’s enthusiastic.’’