The hottest face in college football media right now, Pat McAfee, is everywhere except Morgantown. The former West Virginia star and current ESPN personality has become a staple of College GameDay, but his demanding weekly schedule has kept him from returning to his alma mater, something both he and Mountaineer fans have been eagerly waiting for.

Behind the lights, cameras, and his larger-than-life energy, McAfee admits the grind takes a toll. Responding to a fan’s question on an IG poll, “When are you going back to Morgantown?” the ESPN host said his schedule leaves little room for anything else. “Not soon enough. I enjoy Morgantown. It’s a great town, a great place. I’ve tried to make it back a couple different weekends, but just for one reason or another, it just didn’t work out.” McAfee said.

“Because, you know, football, fall schedules. Insane, absolutely insane, Monday through Friday show, then Saturday GameDay, then traveling back from Game Day on Saturdays to my house, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, basically only real downtime.” Let’s not forget behind all the lights, noise, and showtime energy, he’s a family man too. “So try to hang out with family and babygirl as much as possible.”

It’s a fair explanation. Between his daily “Pat McAfee Show”, College GameDay duties every weekend, and cross-country travel, even a quick visit becomes a logistical nightmare. Still, McAfee’s response assured fans that he’d try to make time, as his connection to West Virginia runs deep. The former Mountaineer kicker played four seasons under Rich Rodriguez and remains one of the program’s most recognizable alums.

But that bond hasn’t always been easy. McAfee has spoken openly about the emotional scars from the infamous 2007 Backyard Brawl, when his two missed field goals contributed to WVU’s 13-9 loss to Pitt, which cost the team a shot at the national title. “It’s hard to go back to a place where you got 27 death threats,” he said in 2021, noting how he fears going back to Morgantown. “Every time I mention it, someone tweets me, ‘If you made those two kicks, we’re national champs.’….I thought about disappearing after that game. It’s a very terrible time in my life, so whenever it gets reminded to me.” The worst part is that despite finishing his college career completing 58 of 79 field-goal attempts, which is 73.4%, McAfee didn’t leave West Virginia on good terms. Still, time and perspective have softened the sting.

McAfee’s love for the university remains clear. With new faces and increasing injuries, West Virginia’s fate now sits at 2-5. In fact, when a major donor once backed out of a promised contribution, it was McAfee who stepped up, wiring the funds himself to keep the program afloat. Rich Rodriguez called McAfee in a panic, telling him the entire situation, as they needed money to pay his players the next day. So, this man, without asking anything in return, sent the money to them. So, you know, even if he’s not visiting Morgantown regularly, McAfee stands tall beside his team.
But with that, McAfee’s outspoken nature is taking hits.

Pat McAfee’s outspoken nature gets in skeptical

Everyone knows Pat McAfee’s carefree nature when it comes to expressing his thoughts. Which gains his admiration and frustration, both. Now, as per many reports, claims that producers are fed up with McAfee’s “diva-like” behavior, especially after his bold comment on taking out “old ESPN people” who produce Game Day. “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,” he said. These remarks instantly sparked tension within ESPN, and some coworkers even labeled it as “juvenile.”

Despite that, ESPN’s top executives, like president of content Burke Magnus, chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Disney CEO Bob Iger, all stand tall beside him. Magnus even praised McAfee’s creative influence on the show and said, “Pat is a creative force. He’s pushed hard to advance College GameDay, and his impact has been enormous.” Magnus knows that McAfee’s style can cause some friction, but he also made it clear that ESPN will continue to support him.

Things might go south sometimes, but no one can deny the fact that since coming into the show in 2022, Pat McAfee has delivered record-breaking viewership in the last season and even got higher ratings this year, with audience numbers up 28% through Week 8. Talking him down means losing viewers, and that’s not the gamble ESPN is ready to play.