Pat McAfee and Utah: What Happened at College GameDay

"ESPN" was one of the fastest-rising searches in the U.S. this week, and the reason was not a game. It was Pat McAfee, the "College GameDay" analyst, who said on his show Monday, Oct. 26, that he "never felt more uncomfortable" than at the University of Utah two days earlier, and that he hopes never to go back. Utah has since deleted the video that upset him and apologized, and ESPN has publicly backed his safety concerns. Here is what happened, what each side said, and what it could mean for GameDay's schedule.

What happened at Utah's College GameDay

ESPN's "College GameDay" broadcast from the University of Utah's Salt Lake City campus on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, ahead of the Utes' game against Houston. It was the show's second straight Saturday in Utah, after a visit to BYU in Provo on Oct. 17.

Before the show, the university posted a short video on its official social media accounts asking students to do their best McAfee impression. In the clip, students said they were fans but that he should drop his weekly habit of taking his shirt off on set, and one called his antics "corny," the Los Angeles Times reported. McAfee said another student called him "creepy." The post, made with the Utah Student Experience account, has since been deleted, according to USA Today.

On air, McAfee picked Houston to win, said he would do so "10 times out of 10," and signed off with: "I'll never see you again, hopefully." Utah won the game 21-13.

The $1 million kick

Part of McAfee's frustration came from his "Kicking is Easy" contest, in which a fan attempts a 33-yard field goal for a cash prize. At BYU a week earlier, freshman Carter Smith made a kick worth $3 million, with $1 million each from McAfee, Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and businessman Ryan Sweeney, KSL.com reported. In Salt Lake City, the prize was $1 million. The Utah student who kicked questioned why it was "only" $1 million and then missed all three tries, Front Office Sports reported.

What Pat McAfee said on his show

McAfee explained his reaction on the Monday, Oct. 26, episode of "The Pat McAfee Show." He said the students' opinions were not the issue. What bothered him was the school posting them.

"If these kids would have done this on their own blogs, all good," McAfee said, per KUTV. "The university puts that out, like, as I'm about to go out and do an infomercial for the place, and then I'm walking in front of thousands of these people."

He then raised the September 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Utah's campus. "Has anything really scary happened at, like, a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?" he asked. "Do you think we should be amplifying reasons for why people hate my guts as a university?"

About the kicking contest, he said: "It's like, all right, I hate this place. I hate this place. They got a good football team, though." He added that if GameDay goes back to Utah while he is on the show, "I think I have COVID or something," The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Why safety came up

McAfee regularly receives threatening messages, including death threats, and the FBI advised him to wear a bulletproof vest in the week after Kirk was killed, Front Office Sports reported, citing a source. ESPN has not publicly described any specific threat connected to the Utah visit.

How Utah and ESPN responded

Utah apologized Monday night. The university said its goal "was to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark." It said staff are responsible for its official accounts, that it takes "full accountability for that decision," and that officials had contacted McAfee "to express appreciation and regret," NBC News reported. "We sincerely apologize for creating any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome on our campus," the statement said, adding that GameDay has visited Utah seven times.

ESPN backed McAfee. A network spokesperson said: "The safety and security of our on-air team, crew and fans is paramount at College GameDay. ... We support Pat and recognize the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security."

Why the story blew up

Much of the reaction online was critical of McAfee, according to the Los Angeles Times. Many memes mocked him as too thin-skinned to take a joke. Some columnists agreed. USA Today's Matt Hayes wrote in an opinion piece that it was unfair to compare students teasing him to Kirk's assassination. Others focused on the safety concerns that ESPN raised.

The timing also mattered. The Times noted that McAfee was already facing criticism after a column in The Athletic argued that his personality had come to dominate the show. And because he is one of ESPN's most visible stars, appearing on GameDay, NFL coverage and his own daily show, the feud quickly reached far beyond college football fans.

What comes next for College GameDay

This week: Indiana. GameDay goes to Bloomington on Saturday, Oct. 31, for Indiana vs. Minnesota, per Front Office Sports. Indiana is No. 4 in the latest AP Top 25.

Nov. 7: the big question. BYU visits Utah that day in a rivalry game with Big 12 title and College Football Playoff stakes. Both teams are in the AP top 10 (Utah No. 6, BYU No. 8). McAfee's comments have raised the question of whether ESPN will return to Salt Lake City. The network has not announced a choice. Before the controversy, an ESPN spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune that "our aim is to always take 'College GameDay' to the best matchups with the most compelling storylines." Other Nov. 7 options include Miami at Notre Dame, Alabama at LSU and Georgia at Ole Miss, USA Today noted.

The bottom line

A university social media post meant as a lighthearted joke turned into a national story after McAfee tied it to his personal safety. Utah has apologized, ESPN is backing its star, and the next test is whether GameDay sends him back to Salt Lake City for BYU-Utah. For more college football, see the AP Top 25 after BYU's loss to UCF. Elsewhere in sports, read about the World Series and the Cowboys' schedule after their win over the Eagles.