Iowa Student's $1 Million College GameDay Field Goal Attempt Deemed 'Worst in History'
Finley Banfig's notoriously poor kicks left social media users stunned, though she still walked away with prize money.
An Iowa student's attempt at winning $1 million on ESPN's College GameDay has been widely described as the "worst kick in College GameDay history." Finley Banfig, an Iowa Hawkeyes fan, participated in the traditional field goal kicking contest hosted by Pat McAfee.
During her first attempt, the kick traveled only a few yards, eliciting shock from the audience and hosts, including former NFL punter McAfee and analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Banfig was given a second chance, which saw a slight improvement but still missed the goalposts.
Social media users reacted swiftly, with many calling her attempt the "worst ever." One comment joked that "You could have offered $45 trillion to pay off the national debt and still been fine." Another stated, "Literally the worst ever first attempt."
McAfee and ESPN may have experienced some relief from the unusually poor performance. In recent weeks, students from Ole Miss, Texas, and Tennessee had collectively won over $3.5 million. McAfee has personally funded over $6 million in prize and charity money for the contest since its inception in 2023, with Home Depot now matching his contributions.
Despite missing the million-dollar prize, Banfig did not leave empty-handed. Former Indianapolis Colts tight end and Iowa alumnus Dallas Clark stepped in to help. Clark successfully kicked a 30-yard pass through the uprights, awarding Banfig $150,000. An additional $150,000 was donated to the Iowa Children's Hospital.
The "Kicking is Easy" competition has become a signature segment for McAfee since he joined the College GameDay crew.