University of Utah Apologizes to Pat McAfee After Social Media Post Incident

The University of Utah has apologized to sports media personality Pat McAfee following a social media post that he said made him feel "very, very uncomfortable" during a recent visit for ESPN's "College GameDay." The school acknowledged that its post "missed the mark" and stated it has reached out to McAfee to express "appreciation and regret."

In a statement released Monday, the university said, "Our goal during the visit was to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark." It took "full accountability" for the decision, noting that university staff are responsible for reviewing and posting content on official social media accounts. The apology also clarified that McAfee and the "GameDay" crew are "always welcome at the University of Utah."

McAfee had publicly criticized the university on his show, "The Pat McAfee Show," stating he "did not enjoy the University of Utah" and would "never go to that place" again. He described a video posted by the university featuring students impersonating him as making him feel unsafe. He noted that one student called him "corny" and another called him "creepy," and he felt it was particularly uncomfortable that the university would amplify these comments as he was about to appear on air.

ESPN released a statement supporting McAfee, emphasizing that the "safety and security of our on-air team, crew and fans is paramount." The network added, "We are committed to ensuring a safe environment, and given the very real threats that members of our team face, we take issues involving their safety seriously."

The social media post in question has since been removed from the University of Utah's official channels, though it has been shared by other accounts online. The incident occurred during the "College GameDay" visit to the University of Utah campus.