Utah’s campus got an unusual early-morning spectacle Saturday when ESPN’s Pat McAfee climbed atop his chair and took his shirt off during “College GameDay,” broadcast live from Salt Lake City as the show previewed the Utes’ undefeated season.
The moment came just minutes into the program and just after 7 a.m. local time, continuing what has become a weekly habit for McAfee since joining the show. But he also used the segment to take another swipe at the New York Times, continuing a back-and-forth that has carried over from last week’s broadcast.
“New York Times already saying it,” McAfee said, turning to former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who appears as an analyst on the show. “This asshole is shirtless at 9:02 a.m. Eastern. Sorry, Coach. I’m ruining the whole sport. I’m ruining the whole sport because of this. I just enjoy it too much not to have a good time.”
McAfee said he hadn’t planned on removing his shirt, but changed his mind after estimating that thousands of fans in the crowd were chanting for him to do it.
The jab at the Times followed a similar moment a week earlier, when the “GameDay” crew was discussing James Madison’s then-undefeated record under head coach Billy Napier, who was fired by Florida before taking the JMU job. When host Rece Davis made a joking comment about Napier remembering how to coach, McAfee jumped in.
“Don’t be joking on here,” McAfee told Davis after Davis clarified he was joking. “New York Times is gonna write an article about you! Don’t do it, Rece.”
That comment appeared to reference a column by The Athletic’s Jerry Brewer, which argued that “College GameDay” has effectively become McAfee’s show, and that his growing presence on the broadcast makes it harder to view the program as a gathering place for all fans, despite a ratings increase this season.
McAfee, a former Colts punter, has built a prominent and often polarizing media career since retiring from the NFL, hosting his own daily show on ESPN and YouTube. He also recently took part in a new “Monday Night Football” alternate broadcast for the network, which drew 351,000 viewers, according to The Athletic.
Despite that relatively modest number, McAfee was back in form five days later in Utah, unbuttoning his shirt and playing to the crowd from atop his chair before putting it back on and continuing with the show.
“I guess the energy of college football is not supposed to be one that the suits get upset if a man ends up shirtless at 7 a.m. in Utah,” McAfee said. “It’s supposed to be wild. It’s supposed to be chaotic. It’s supposed to be the best atmosphere in all of sport. No matter what country you’re in, college football is the best. The fans are the greatest.”
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