Pat McAfee says University of Utah social media post made him uncomfortable during College GameDay visit

Pat McAfee said a University of Utah social-media post featuring student impressions of him made him uncomfortable before the ESPN College GameDay broadcast from the campus. The post included comments describing McAfee as “corny” and “creepy,” which he said were posted by the university rather than the students themselves.

"If these kids had posted this on their own blogs, that would have been fine. The university put it out just before I was about to appear on the show," McAfee said.

He added that the timing of the post, released shortly before his appearance, was unusual for him. McAfee also referenced a comparison made by a student between the $1 million prize offered in the College GameDay kicking contest and a $3 million prize won by a BYU student, noting that the comment contributed to his discomfort.

"I did not enjoy the morning there and hope I will not have to return for College GameDay," he said.

The university issued a statement expressing regret over the content posted and affirmed that staff were responsible for the decision. It said the university values its relationship with College GameDay and apologised for any perception that McAfee was unwelcome.

"Our goal during the visit was to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark. We take full accountability and sincerely apologize for creating any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome," the statement read.

McAfee concluded by acknowledging the Utah football team’s performance while reiterating his discomfort with the pre-show social-media content.