Pat McAfee says he hates University of Utah after 'College GameDay' video - LA Times

Pat McAfee says he hates University of Utah after ‘College GameDay’ video – LA Times

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Pat McAfee Puts University of Utah in His Crosshairs After Social Media Video

In a tense fallout that spilled across national sports broadcasts, ESPN College GameDay analyst Pat McAfee declared he wants nothing more to do with the University of Utah, pointing directly to a university-produced social media video that lampooned his broadcast style.

The friction began ahead of Saturday’s broadcast from Salt Lake City, where the Utes hosted Houston. According to reporting from the LA Times, the University of Utah’s official social media accounts published a short clip asking students to impersonate McAfee. While some students voiced appreciation for his theatrical presence, a microphone was handed to individuals who called his signature shirtless routine “corny” or labeled him “creepy.”

McAfee, speaking on his daily self-titled ESPN talk show on Monday, admitted the stunt left him feeling blindsided and profoundly unwelcome.

“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. This is how the university feels about it? It’s an uncomfortable feeling,” McAfee said on his show.

The Shadow of Violence and Security Anxieties on Campus

What turned standard sports media banter into a serious safety grievance, however, was McAfee’s invocation of real-world violence. He explicitly linked his discomfort on campus to the September 2025 shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University roughly 40 miles away. Wondering aloud whether a university should be actively amplifying hostility against him given the volatile climate of modern public gatherings, McAfee questioned the judgment of the digital media team.

Pat McAfee fist-bumps TV crew as they prepare for Pat McAfee’s kicking contest during ESPN’s “College GameDay” in the
Photo: ksl.com

ESPN quickly backed its marquee analyst, issuing a formal statement emphasizing that the safety and security of its on-air crew and fans remains paramount. The network pointed directly to very real threats faced by members of their traveling broadcast teams, validating McAfee’s public unease.

For its part, the university moved rapidly to extinguish the public relations firestorm. School officials removed the offending video and released a statement taking full institutional accountability. The university clarified that the original intent was simply to create lighthearted campus engagement, conceding that the post had ultimately missed the mark.

University Apology and the Social Media Backlash

University representatives reached out directly to McAfee to express both appreciation and regret, offering a formal apology for any perception that he was unsafe or unwelcome on campus. Yet the gesture did little to stem an immediate wave of internet reaction, which largely seized on the friction to mock the analyst’s sensitivity. Social media platforms flooded with digital memes pairing McAfee’s image with rolls of soft bathroom tissue, highlighting a growing cultural divide between traditional sports punditry and high-profile digital personalities.

Despite the morning’s friction, McAfee acknowledged elements of a successful broadcast, praising former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid and complimenting the energy of the Utes’ student section. Even so, the morning’s sting lingered long after the broadcast concluded.

“I’ll hopefully never go to that place,” McAfee said, adding that he would likely claim to have contracted COVID-19 if the traveling road show ever finds its way back to Salt Lake City.

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