In news that will worry some College GameDay viewers and delight others, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Pat McAfee has not signed a contract to return to GameDay with the 2024 season now just two months away.
McAfee joined GameDay in Week 2 of 2022, and in May of 2023 the network reached an agreement to license his daily talkshow.
McAfee put his future with GameDay in doubt last October when The Athletic published a reader's poll that found nearly half of respondents did not enjoy his presence on sports television's preeminent pre-game show. This, of course, is part of McAfee's appeal to ESPN: those who like him tend to love him, those who don't tend to hate him. Either way, polarization sells on television.
Comments over his two years on the show indicated McAfee does not understand college football, an odd predicament given his placement on a college football television show. The Athletic poll followed McAfee picking a fight with Washington State fans, of all people, last October. Anyone even partially familiar with GameDay knows Wazzu fans have a special place in the show's lore. McAfee, on his weekday show, told Washington State fans to "shut up" and "f*** off."
Still, it would be a shock if McAfee does not return given that his biggest fan is the star of GameDay's show. Kirk Herbstreit came to McAfee's defense following The Athletic poll, and said this on McAfee's show last December:
“I’m just going to say this right now. If you dare even think of leaving “College GameDay,” I’m leaving with you. I am. I am. I’m dead serious. ...
“I’m not kissing your ass. I’m not just telling you that - and I told you this a lot - that you’ve changed my experience. I work really hard with these three projects I’m on. I’m on GameDay, the Thursday night game with Al (Michaels) and Saturday with Chris (Fowler). You’ve really changed the approach, the energy, not just on the set, but like the week. I’m having a blast. ... It’s like being on a team where you get good energy.”
New GameDay cast member Nick Saban also had a weekly appearance on McAfee's show last fall, an arrangement that figures to continue now that Saban is an ESPN employee.
McAfee told Herbstreit on the air last December he'll be back. He's got 10 weeks to put pen to paper until GameDay begins its 38th season Aug. 24 in Dublin, Ireland, for Florida State-Georgia Tech.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.