Pat McAfee’s latest dust-up with a fan base played out in Salt Lake City on Saturday, and this time the target was Utah. The ESPN “College GameDay” host took aim at the Utes while the show was on hand for Utah’s high-profile matchup with Houston, then made it clear he wasn’t eager to come back.
McAfee leaned into his usual routine before siding with Houston at the end of his pick. He acknowledged the noise around Utah’s student section, then still went the other direction.
“It’s hard to pick against this mighty Utah student section, but I’m gonna do it ten times out of ten," McAfee said. "Give me Houston coming out of here with a big-time dub and proving that Utah hasn’t had to play anybody yet.
They’re going to get a little bit of a struggle, and then maybe they get better down the stretch. Congrats to Houston getting a huge win here in Salt Lake City."
He closed that thought with a line that made the beef feel personal.
“Thank you, guys. I’ll never see you again, hopefully," McAfee said.
One reason McAfee pointed to was an awkward exchange with the contestant chosen for “College GameDay’s” kicking contest. The contestant said she was disappointed with the prize amount because BYU’s version of the competition the week before carried a $3 million payout, while Saturday’s winner would get $1 million. McAfee responded by noting that BYU’s event had been backed in part by two billionaire donors.
"Actually, how about $20," McAfee quipped.
The kick ended up missing, so McAfee didn’t have to hand over a check to someone he clearly didn’t enjoy dealing with. Even so, the exchange landed as tense in the moment.
McAfee also brought up a video posted by the Utah Student Experience and official University of Utah account. In it, students joked about McAfee’s behavior and mannerisms while camping out on the lawn before the broadcast.
The clip was framed as a roast, and the students’ comments were mild enough on their own. But McAfee appeared to take it as another shot from a fan base that had already gotten under his skin.
That’s where things stood by the end of the broadcast: McAfee irritated, Utah fans amused, and a small “College GameDay” sideshow stealing some of the spotlight in Salt Lake City.
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