Pat McAfee has been under the spotlight since he voiced his frustrations about his recent College GameDay visit to the University of Utah. He and the crew were present in Salt Lake City when the Utes defeated the Houston Cougars 21-13.
McAfee received a lot of flak when he chose Houston to win over Utah “10 times out of 10.” He then signed off the show by stating that he hoped to never visit the university again. On Monday’s episode of his eponymous show, he said that he was “uncomfortable” with a video of various Utah students mocking him and calling him “corny.”
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Pat McAfee also seemed to reference the assassination of Charlie Kirk last year during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, roughly 40 miles from Salt Lake City. According to an article by Front Office Sports, an anonymous source said the FBI advised McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest after that incident.
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“McAfee receives threatening messages—including death threats—on a regular basis, sources say,” the article read. “The week after Kirk was shot and killed, the FBI advised McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest, said one source. In a statement to Front Office Sports, an ESPN spokeswoman says the network takes all threats very seriously.”
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According to the article, an ESPN spokeswoman also highlighted how the network takes such threats very seriously.
“The safety and security of our on-air team, crew and fans is paramount at College GameDay. 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. We support Pat and recognize the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security.”
McAfee also said he would not be bothered if it were just the students sharing the video. However, he said he was uncomfortable with the fact that the university decided to share the post.
University of Utah shares statement after recent Pat McAfee incident
After Pat McAfee shared his disappointing experience during the College GameDay showdown between Utah and Houston, the University of Utah shared a statement apologizing to the ex-Colts punter for what transpired.
“The University of Utah is grateful to have had the chance to welcome Pat McAfee and the entire ESPN College GameDay crew to campus,” the statement read. “ESPN College GameDay has visited our campus seven times and we have always enjoyed a terrific relationship and positive experiences with the crew.
“Our goal during the visit was to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark. University staff are responsible for reviewing and posting content on official social media accounts and we take full accountability for that decision.
“University officials have reached out to Pat to express appreciation and regret. We sincerely apologize for creating any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome on our campus. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
College GameDay will next head to Bloomington, where the Indiana Hoosiers face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Oct. 31.
Edited by Priyam Hazarika
