Football fans now consider College GameDay to be their ultimate playground, and Pat McAfee is essentially Santa Claus with a football. One lucky student from each campus will try a 33-yard field goal in the show’s new take on the basketball half-court challenge, with the chance to win a cash prize that could range from $250,000 to $600,000. And yes, McAfee is the one who is actually writing those big checks.

On the Stugotz and Company podcast, co-host Kirk Herbstreit stated, “He’s given over $500,000…People are like, ‘ESPN does that, right?’ I’m like, I know he makes a lot of money, but he’s writing checks to these guys. It’s cool.” This season, fans have already witnessed two Ohio State and Oklahoma students steal McAfee’s money! Also, McAfee’s energy truly steals the show, even though the payouts are incredible. Fans have a new reason to watch every weekend thanks to McAfee’s GameDay games, which combine money, chaos, and charm.

In a recent post on X, Pat McAfee wrote “ONE MORE KICK… $500,000 FOR GIO AND THE BOYS… NO GOOD… We’ll still donate $50,000 to a charity here in Miami #CollegeGameDay.” This weekend’s GameDay in Miami was full of drama, and Pat McAfee’s $500,000 kicking challenge was nothing short of a letdown. Gio, a Hurricanes fan, took the big shot, but let’s just say the football had other plans.

The audience erupted in cheers for “one more try!” after his first attempt went completely wrong, crashing into a building and McAfee could be heard reacting, “Oh no!”. But instead of leaving him hanging, McAfee gave Gio another chance, raising the stakes even further. The second attempt had more on the line, but it still fell short. You could literally hear McAfee laughing when he said, “Good try there, Gio. At least it was better!” The excitement, suspense, and reactions of the crowd made the moment unforgettable even though the prize was not claimed. And, in classic McAfee style, he turned a missed kick into a story worth telling and  Gio’s efforts resulted in a $50,000 donation to charity.

Pat McAfee jumps into the action as Miami looks to go 4-0

So is this Miami football and Mario Cristobal season where everything finally falls into place? Everything appears to be going quite well so far. After defeating Notre Dame in Week 1 and then thrashing USF the following week, the Hurricanes are 3-0. After some questioned his ability to replace Cam Ward, quarterback Carson Beck has been on a bit of a revenge tour, proving his critics wrong. “The U is back!” said McAfee on College GameDay. And y ou can’t really argue after Beck’s performance, to be honest.

Corey Hetherman, Cristobal’s new hire, has been quietly making an impression on defense side. The former Minnesota DC has redesigned the Hurricanes’ defense, and preliminary findings indicate he is succeeding. Miami has an opportunity to go 4-0 and continue to put pressure on Billy Napier, whose seat is reportedly sizzling, as Florida visits the city. McAfee GameDay, he backed Miami without hesitation and, as usual, increased the excitement by making his pick and jumping off the high dive wearing only a Speedo.

The College GameDay crew was welcomed by chants of “(expletive) the Gators,” creating an electrifying atmosphere on campus right away. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you come to this beautiful campus, you will notice quickly that the students here love this university,” McAfee said, expressing his admiration for the passion. The Canes are putting on a show both on and off the field thanks to their wins, their enthusiastic fans, and McAfee’s antics. This primetime matchup appears to be the ideal setting for Miami to continue its winning ways, especially since Florida is coming in at a 1-2 record.