Pat McAfee Vows to Never Return to Utah After University Video

Pat McAfee has declared he will not return to the University of Utah after a deleted promotional video published by the university in advance of ESPN’s “College GameDay” caused him distress. The video featured students making lighthearted remarks about his on-air persona and a past incident of violence in the state.

McAfee, who hosted "College GameDay" at the University of Utah for its game against Houston, took issue with a fan impression that characterized him as saying a "corny line." Another student joked about McAfee ripping his shirt off during the show, with another chiding him, "Pat, we love you, bro, but like, bro, keep the shirt on." McAfee also noted a student questioning why she was offered $1 million for a kicking contest, compared to the $3 million McAfee had given away the previous week at BYU.

These comments, which McAfee perceived as criticism, appeared to visibly annoy him during the broadcast. He concluded the segment by picking Houston to win, prompting boos, and stating, "I’ll never see you again, hopefully."

On his self-named show Monday, McAfee elaborated on his negative experience in Salt Lake City, stating he felt "uncomfortable" and used the word "hate." He repeatedly suggested the university’s video was a deliberate slight. "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. He expressed that he had "never experienced" such a situation.

McAfee then drew a connection between his experience and the September 2025 assassination of political pundit Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. "I thought to myself: ‘Has anything like really scary happened at like a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?’ Like, do we think we should be amplifying reasons for why people hate my guts as a university? I don’t know," he stated.

The University of Utah has since issued an apology for the video, stating that officials have reached out to McAfee to "express appreciation and regret." In a release, the school acknowledged that "University staff are responsible for reviewing and posting content on official social media accounts and we take full accountability for that decision." The university maintained that its goal was "lighthearted engagement" but admitted it "missed the mark," emphasizing that McAfee and the "GameDay" crew are "always welcome" and that they "deeply appreciate the opportunity ESPN provides to showcase our university and community."