Pat McAfee Criticizes Utah Instagram Post After Uncomfortable College GameDay Visit

A social post before the show

Pat McAfee said Monday that a University of Utah social media video left him uncomfortable before ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast in Salt Lake City, and that he hoped not to return if the show visits the campus again. His remarks on The Pat McAfee Show explained a pointed farewell he had delivered to the crowd during Saturday’s telecast. ^{[1] [2]}

The broadcast preceded Utah’s October 24 home game against Houston. McAfee said he saw a video on the university’s Instagram account asking students to do impressions of him. He said one student called him ‘corny’ and another called him ‘creepy,’ according to KSL and The Salt Lake Tribune. ^{[1] [2]}

McAfee distinguished between criticism posted by individual students and a video shared by the university itself, saying it felt strange to see the school amplify those comments as he prepared to appear before a large crowd and promote the campus on television. He said the post affected his mood before the show. ^{[1] [2]}

The Tribune reported that the Instagram post had since been deleted and that the university did not immediately respond to its request for comment. Barrett Media also reported that it was unclear who approved the post. The original video was not independently available for this account, so its contents are attributed to the published reporting and McAfee’s description. ^{[2] [3]}

What happened on GameDay

Near the end of Saturday’s show, McAfee picked Houston and told the Utah crowd he hoped he would never see them again, KSL reported. Utah then beat Houston 21-13 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with quarterback Devon Dampier scoring two rushing touchdowns, according to the university’s athletics department. ^{[1] [4]}

McAfee also said he disliked an exchange during his field-goal contest. The student chosen to kick questioned why a BYU contestant the previous week had a chance at $3 million when the Utah attempt was worth $1 million; she missed the kick, according to the Tribune and Barrett Media. ^{[2] [3]}

In describing why the post unsettled him before facing the crowd, McAfee alluded to the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in 2025. The Tribune identified the event he referenced. His comments described his own reaction; the cited accounts do not establish that the Instagram video contained a threat. ^{[1] [2]}

Praise alongside the criticism

McAfee’s assessment was not entirely negative. He praised Utah’s football team and student section and described the GameDay event itself as phenomenal, thanking those who attended. KSL reported that he also singled out guest picker and former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid positively. ^[1]

The analyst nevertheless said the university’s post had spoiled his morning and suggested he would avoid a future GameDay trip to the school. That was his stated preference, not an announcement that ESPN would stop bringing the program to Utah. The Tribune reported that McAfee had not determined who controlled the account. ^{[1] [2]}