Pat McAfee will return to ESPN’s “Faculty GameDay” this fall, he introduced in a video posted Wednesday.
🚨BREAKING🚨 pic.twitter.com/gosfIzCo9A
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 24, 2024
McAfee, after indicating in October that he would possibly depart “GameDay” following the 2023 season, stated late final 12 months that he would return to this system however entered the summer time and not using a deal to make that official. McAfee has a separate contract that enables ESPN to license his every day “The Pat McAfee Present” on its community and YouTube.
The previous West Virginia and Indianapolis Colts punter turned media character is properly conscious of the tough criticism his presence on the long-running pregame present drew from some faculty soccer followers. He stated Wednesday that he questioned whether or not it was value his social media mentions blowing up on Saturdays with powerful feedback, and he referenced an Athletic reader ballot final 12 months through which 48.9 p.c of respondents stated they don’t like him on the present.
“Clearly, The Athletic ballot got here out final 12 months and like 50 p.c of the individuals had been like, get this man the hell off of ‘Faculty GameDay,’” McAfee stated. “I’m a ‘Faculty GameDay’ fan. I loved waking up on Saturday mornings and watching the present that propels us into faculty soccer Saturday and inevitably into NFL Sunday. For these individuals to have a horrible morning due to my existence was definitely one thing that weighed very heavy on this right here dumbass sports activities dude’s coronary heart.”
McAfee’s power has confirmed highly regarded, particularly with Kirk Herbstreit and at many ‘GameDay’ stops from Alabama to James Madison. However he confronted heavy blowback from followers final season over feedback about Washington State. WSU head coach Jake Dickert and former quarterback Ryan Leaf obtained upset when Lee Corso appeared to name the Wazzu-Oregon State sport the “No One Watches Bowl,” though some individuals thought Corso stated “No One Desires Us Bowl.” In response, McAfee defended Corso and instructed Washington State to “shut up” when the present highlighted the 292nd consecutive look of the Cougars’ flag on ‘GameDay’, noting ‘GameDay’ had lengthy celebrated this system when it struggled on the sector.
“It was an precise resolution based mostly on … principally do I need to signal as much as hear in my mentions how horrible of an individual I’m by individuals who won’t ever perceive what kind of human I’m?” McAfee stated Wednesday. “Is that what I need to enroll in? We’re doing OK in all places else. Each time I considered it, I believed, I get the chance to do that. I want to do that. We are able to put this dialog to mattress.”
“GameDay” can also be set so as to add newly retired coach Nick Saban to its returning roster of host Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Corso and McAfee.
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(Picture: Kirby Lee / USA At the moment)
