Pat McAfee reportedly thinks he can do College GameDay better on his own

USA Today

12-06-2025

Pat McAfee reportedly thinks he can do College GameDay better on his own
Two seasons as a host on ESPN's College GameDay has Pat McAfee wondering if he should leave the band and start touring solo.
Granted, there's still a long way to go before that could even happen — McAfee has two years left on his GameDay contract — but according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, the thought of leaving ESPN's flagship college football show to start his own version has crossed McAfee's mind.
Per The Athletic:
"McAfee has mused with associates about starting his own, independent version of GameDay, according to sources briefed on discussions. This does not appear to be happening, at least not now. But he is mercurial and can make big decisions seemingly on whims.
McAfee cares about his image. During a GameDay stop in Norman, Oklahoma, last fall, McAfee grew upset about being shown swinging and missing during a segment in which he faced a University of Oklahoma softball pitcher. McAfee, according to sources briefed on the incident, demanded to know the name of the GameDay staff member who put it on the air, but he was denied the information.
Marchand also noted that contractual obligations haven't stopped McAfee from making career-altering decisions in the past. The former Indianapolis Colts punter left FanDuel in the middle of a reported four-year, $120 million deal to sign a licensing agreement for The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
A solo McAfee show would surely face some serious trouble finding its footing on campuses as the biggest college games of the week are already dominated by GameDay and Fox's Big Noon Kickoff — both of which have network deals with the biggest conferences.
Then again, there would be plenty of people happy to see McAfee's antics move far away from College GameDay. Considering McAfee has never been shy about bashing people who talk about him, we'll see if he has any response here soon enough.