Former NFL kicker and ESPN sportscaster Pat McAfee delivered a patriotic message on Saturday morning during ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast on the University of Tennessee campus, speaking in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier in the week.
McAfee, 38, wearing a patriotic-themed jacket, opened the show by celebrating the university and the country, saying it was "not just a great day to be a Tennessee Volunteer, it’s also a great day to live in the greatest country on earth, the United States of America." His remarks prompted a spontaneous "U-S-A" chant from the crowd gathered for the Tennessee-Georgia matchup.
McAfee acknowledged the tensions reflected in national headlines earlier in the week and emphasized commonalities among the crowd. "All week we’ve seen and heard maybe a lot more than we ever should about what separates us, what makes us different and our differing opinions," he said. He noted that the stadium of more than 102,000 people — described on the broadcast as the eighth-largest in the world — was filled with fans from a broad range of economic, political and religious backgrounds united for the same purpose.
"You’ll see 102,000-plus in the eighth-largest stadium in the world from different economic backgrounds, political backgrounds, religious backgrounds, you name it all, coming together for one thing: and that’s to kick Georgia’s a--," McAfee said on the air. Rece Davis, one of the College GameDay hosts, observed that football "pulls everyone together," to which McAfee replied that it at least tries to, adding that Saturdays in college football season "always deliver."
The remarks were carried live as College GameDay covered the marquee matchup between the home team and No. 6 Georgia. McAfee has been a prominent figure in sports media since his playing career and frequently appears as a host and commentator on college football programming.
The segment came days after the reported assassination of Charlie Kirk, a development that dominated conservative media coverage and prompted discussion about political violence. McAfee framed his remarks around unity and appreciation for the experience of being at a college football game, focusing on sport as a social glue amid a charged national atmosphere.
The broadcast and McAfee’s comments were reported by multiple outlets, and clips circulated on social media following the show. McAfee has previously hosted and appeared on College GameDay and other national sports broadcasts, where he mixes commentary on games with broader observations about culture and fandom.
Coverage of the Tennessee-Georgia game and the College GameDay broadcast continued throughout the day, with broadcasters and attendees reflecting on both the matchup and the larger context that shaped the crowd’s reaction to McAfee’s remarks.