‘Really Hard To Believe,’ ‘I Didn’t See a Reason’ — Former ESPN Star Surprised by Pat McAfee Being ‘Bothered’ by Video From Utah Students
‘Really Hard To Believe,’ ‘I Didn’t See a Reason’ — Former ESPN Star Surprised by Pat McAfee Being ‘Bothered’ by Video From Utah Students
Jarrett Prendergast Thu, October 29, 2026 at 7:07 AM UTC
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‘Really Hard To Believe,’ ‘I Didn’t See a Reason’ — Former ESPN Star Surprised by Pat McAfee Being ‘Bothered’ by Video From Utah Students
This past weekend, the “College GameDay” crew traveled to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City ahead of the Utes’ matchup with Houston.
While the event seemed to go off without a hitch, Pat McAfee later made clear that he did not enjoy his experience at Utah. It all happened before the show began, when McAfee saw Utah’s official social media account post a video of students calling him “creepy” and another calling him “corny.”
McAfee said he wouldn’t have been bothered if the students had said these things on their personal pages; however, he found it distasteful that the school’s official account posted the students’ comments.
Linda Cohn Surprised by Pat McAfee’s Reaction
Former ESPN employee Linda Cohn spoke on her podcast, “The Linda Cohn Show,” about the McAfee/Utah situation. She was surprised that McAfee had a problem with this video.
“My reaction was that’s what caused all of this?… I didn’t see a reason to turn the entire visit into a grievance. It’s really hard to believe,” Cohn said.
Even though McAfee wasn’t happy with how the day began, Cohn still thinks he could have done better during the show to avoid alienating everyone who came to Utah to see it.
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Cohn continued, “You could have laughed at it; you could have given a little back to them; you’re an entertainer; there’s material sitting right there you could have made fun. Instead, by the end of Gameday, you’re picking Houston; you’re telling the Utah crowd, ‘I hope I never see you guys again.'”
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The university subsequently apologized for publishing the video, accepting responsibility for the decision and emphasizing that McAfee and the “College GameDay” crew remained welcome on campus. ESPN also issued a statement supporting McAfee and acknowledging his concerns about safety and security.
The former NFL punter has helped reshape the company’s sports-media identity with his freewheeling approach, outspoken opinions and willingness to use language that traditional studio shows typically avoid.
When “The Pat McAfee Show” debuted on ESPN in September 2023, it came with a disclaimer that made that difference explicit.
“The opinions expressed on this show do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of their peers, their boss, or ESPN,” the disclaimer read.
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It also warned viewers that there might be some “‘cuss’ words” because “that’s how humans in the real world talk.” The tongue-in-cheek message became part of the show’s identity with its deliberately informal style.
McAfee remains a valuable part of ESPN’s programming, and there is no indication that the Utah controversy will change his role at the network. Expect to keep seeing him on “College GameDay” unless they head back to Utah at some point, where he has made it clear he is unlikely to return.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Sports”
