Pat McAfee's Future on College GameDay Uncertain

ESPN's College GameDay could face a major change next season. According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Pat McAfee is expected to return to the show, but has yet to sign a contract.

Last year, McAfee confirmed his intention to return to College GameDay. The program will already see changes with Nick Saban joining the team. On his own show, The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee expressed optimism about finalizing a deal.

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“Let's not get into that,” McAfee said. “I don't know if [many, many years] it is the case, but it will be understood. It was an honor, it's an honor to be a part of College GameDay.”

Kirk Herbstreit, McAfee's colleague at College GameDay, has been supportive. Herbstreit stated that if McAfee were to leave, he might consider leaving as well. He praised McAfee for bringing new energy to the show.

However, not all fans share Herbstreit's enthusiasm. Some have expressed displeasure with McAfee, who replaced analyst David Pollack after the 2022 season.

For the upcoming season, confirmed GameDay members include Nick Saban, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. Now all eyes are on McAfee's next move.

This uncertainty is not entirely unexpected. McAfee announced last October that he hadn't signed a new deal, in part because some fans didn't like him. A poll by The Athletic indicated that 48.9% of fans were not in favor of McAfee's presence on the show.

“For the 49%, I have great news…I have heard all of you very loud and clear since the beginning of my time with GameDay. It is one of the main reasons I have not re-signed with the legendary program. I'm just not a good fit for some crowds and the 'distinguished' crowd in college football is definitely one of them,” McAfee tweeted at the time.

McAfee has been one of the few consistently entertaining figures on ESPN. His presence brings passion, energy and intensity that the network desperately needs. If McAfee leaves, ESPN could face a difficult situation with College GameDay losing its edge.