Pat McAfee Apologizes to Caitlin Clark After Shirtless Stunt on 'College GameDay'

Pat McAfee issued an apology to Caitlin Clark after going shirtless in front of the Indiana Fever star during ESPN's "College GameDay" broadcast. The incident occurred on Saturday when Clark, a former University of Iowa basketball standout, was the guest picker for the game between No. 14 Iowa and No. 2 Ohio State.

Clark, who had recently concluded her WNBA season with the Fever's playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces, drew some boos from the crowd for her initial pick of rival Iowa State to defeat West Virginia. However, she quickly garnered favor by selecting Iowa to upset Ohio State, stating, "We’re gonna have Julian Sayin rattled today. Stadium’s gonna go crazy, everyone better be loud. I’m going Hawkeyes."

Following Clark's picks, McAfee, a former NFL punter and current ESPN personality, took his turn. He removed his blue blazer and then his shirt, becoming bare-chested in front of Clark. During the act, McAfee apologized to Clark, saying, "Caitlin, I apologize to be like this in front of you. But when it calls, it calls. The football Gods have called for me to get shirtless in front of these fantastic people."

McAfee then announced his pick of Ohio State to win the game, adding, "I’m gonna put my shirt back on, walk over to Kinnick, and watch the Ohio State Buckeyes get a huge win." He concluded by expressing his admiration for Clark, stating, "I love you Caitlin, you’re the best."

Clark appeared unfazed by McAfee's antics, having skipped her team's exit interviews to attend the broadcast. The Indiana Fever's season ended earlier in the week with a loss to the Aces in the WNBA playoffs.