Despite reportedly earning $17 million at ESPN, Pat McAfee has never shied away from taking shots at them. Be it throwing shade at the former executive editor and head of event and studio production. Or calling other executives “bums”. Even a few days ago, the former NFL punter was in headlines for calling out the “old ESPN people” producing College GameDay, and the associated death threats. It seems the comments got to the higher-ups as internal tensions continue to rise.

Pat McAfee, in a video on his Instagram, said, “If you think about old white people and old ESPN people, those are really the people that hate me the most at this stage of life. Now, granted, there are some other groups that certainly have threatened my life on a pretty regular basis; I’d say they hate me, too. But throughout the entirety, old whites and the old ESPN people over the last like three years have really hated me…” These comments made a lot of people within ESPN upset, and some called it a “diva-like” move.

According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, “Some ESPNers are growing tired of McAfee’s public whining, sources say, which they view as juvenile, unprofessional and bad for business”. Further adding to this, the source said the issues should be solved in private and not “publicly rip people who can’t go on TV to defend themselves.” This was not the only statement.

“Totally unnecessary. Grow up and talk to these people to make it better. You are not a victim,” One source told FOS. “Everyone is bending over backwards to put you in a good position, and these same people are incentivized for you to succeed.” In 2022, Pat McAfee agreed to a five-year, $85 million contract with ESPN, and since then, he has reportedly had full control of The Pat McAfee Show, and ESPN only serves as a broadcasting medium, along with his YouTube channel. 

ESPN’s president of content, Burke Magnus, chimed in on the recent controversy. On the other side, Magnus hailed McAfee as a “creative force” for having an enormous impact on college football broadcasting and its unprecedented success. But also admitted McAfee’s disruptive style can sometimes cause “friction.” “When you have someone who disrupts the status quo, it’s not surprising when there’s friction and disagreement as a result.” However, Magnus gave hope that they will “continue to encourage and support McAfee and the entire GameDay cast and crew together.

As stated earlier, this is not the first time McAfee has had a problem with ESPN employees. The former NFL punter called out former executive Norby Williamson for “sabotaging” the ratings for The Pat McAfee Show. Now, there are some people actively trying to sabotage us from within ESPN — more specifically, I believe, Norby Williamson is the guy who is attempting to sabotage our program,” McAfee said back in January 2024. 

Williamson left ESPN in January this year after spending nearly 4 decades with the company. Despite McAfee earning a lot of hatred, as long as he brings good ratings, viewership, and backing of top decision makers, it’s tough to take him away from the Network.

Pat McAfee’s Impact on College GameDay

Despite internal tensions, Pat McAfee has a massive impact on the ESPN College GameDay, and it’s evident. His kicking contest became a staple of the kick-off show, where he invites students in attendance to kick the ball to the ball to a 33-yard field goal for a massive cash prize. This show added a separate viewership, and his color commentary style of hosting makes it more fun to watch. Last year, McAfee and the show gave away $1.7 million after successful field goals to the students and the charities.

In this year alone, in the first eight weeks, the show gave away $1.85 million. Last week at the Ole Miss vs Georgia game, McAfee gave away $700,000, which is the most in recent weeks. If you wondered, was it ESPN’s expense? No, the ESPN VP Matthew Garrett told The Athletic, before this season, “It’s truly all Pat’s money. He wanted it to be his. We are the beneficiaries of his generosity in making that moment happen.” Despite this, McAfee also hosts The Pat McAfee Show and occasionally appears on WWE’s ESPN shows as a commentator.

But took a break from WWE to continue his focus on College GameDay duties. However, when WWE and ESPN came to terms to broadcast the promotion’s premium live events, McAfee took a shot once again. “Great to see 2 powerhouses of sports and entertainment come together. I assume all the mid-level, powerless, bum ass suits at ESPN will attempt to muddy this somehow (out of context leaks/ignorant anonymous opinions/etc.)” It’s clear that the issues are more serious behind the scenes.