Pat McAfee, ESPN College GameDay in limbo for 2024: report
Will we see Pat McAfee on the set of ESPN's College GameDay during the 2024 college football season? Right now, it's an open question, according to a media insider.
ESPN still does not have McAfee under contract to appear on the network's flagship weekly college football program for the upcoming season, according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand.
McAfee, 37, has a different contract with ESPN to air "The Pat McAfee Show" on its airwaves every week from Monday through Friday.
By bringing on McAfee, ESPN hoped to provide a new injection of energy into its most important college football show as veteran analyst Lee Corso stepped back somewhat into a more minor role in the years since suffering the stroke that partially impaired his speech.
Related: Rece Davis gives update on Lee Corso for 2024
But college football fans have been of very different opinions over McAfee's often bombastic presence on the show.
A poll taken by The Athletic last football season showed that 48.9 percent of over 3,000 respondents disapproved of him, while 30.1 percent said they liked him, and 21 percent had no opinion.
“I have heard you all very loud and clear since the beginning of my stint with GameDay. It’s one of the biggest reasons why I have not [re-signed] a contract with the legendary show,” McAfee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to that poll. “I’m not right for some crowds and the ‘distinguished’ College Football folks are definitely one of those.”
While McAfee's potential departure from the show remains a point of speculation, one notable addition is official: that of Nick Saban, the NCAA-record seven-time national champion head coach who retired from Alabama this offseason and will be on set for GameDay starting this fall.
McAfee, who is also a commentator for WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” program, said in December that he intended to return to College GameDay this season.
That month, fellow host Kirk Herbstreit told McAfee on his show that he would leave College GameDay if McAfee departed the program.
“If you dare even think of leaving College GameDay, I’m leaving with you,” Herbstreit said. “I am. I am. I’m dead serious.”
The 2024 college football season kicks off on Aug. 24 as Florida State meets ACC rival Georgia Tech from Dublin, Ireland, in the annual Week 0 game.
College GameDay announced it would be on campus the following Saturday as Texas A&M hosts Notre Dame in their Week 1 matchup on Aug. 31.
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JAMES PARKS
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.