Pat McAfee’s $550K College Gameday Donation Leaves Kirk Herbstreit Emotional

College GameDay has a new tradition. Forget the half-court shot. This one’s all about the kick. Yes, one student. One field goal. And one chance to win big. But the idea? Straight from Pat McAfee’s playbook. As Chris Vannini wrote in The Athletic: “It was McAfee’s idea ahead of the 2023 season to add the field goal contest.” Now, it’s a staple. Loud chants. Wild stunts. And a cash prize on the line every Saturday. Week 2 of the 2025 season is here, and the ball is on the tee. So far, McAfee has been handing out cash like it’s nothing. And the giveaway? Already soaring past half a million dollars.

McAfee and the crew rolled into Norman, Oklahoma. And the stage? An SEC-B1G showdown. Michigan vs. Oklahoma. You can say, ranked vs. ranked. And of course, the fans packed in early for the main event. The McAfee kicking contest. Interestingly, the spotlight fell on Jack Daugard, a lefty from the Sooners’ lacrosse team. His mission? Nail a 30-yarder for a staggering $200,000. Plus, another $100,000 would be given to charity. Daugard delivered. And the kick had just enough lift, clearing the uprights. The crowd erupted. The Sooners had their hero. And McAfee? He was out $300,000 in one swing of a leg. Even for an ex-NFL kicker, that’s no easy money. Seeing it unfold, Kirk Herbstreit couldn’t hide his emotion.

On September 6, Kirk Herbstreit reshared Pat McAfee’s X post of Jack Daugard’s winning kick. And his words said it all: “Pat, you’re a SUPER generous man. Fun to be a small part of this every week!” That’s not just broadcast banter. That’s respect. Because over time, McAfee and Herbstreit have built more than a partnership on College GameDay. They’ve built a bond. Herbstreit has called McAfee “one of the greatest teammates I’ve ever had” and credits him with reigniting his passion after nearly 30 years on set. And $300K isn’t the whole story when you add in the Week 1 payout.

Last week in Columbus, a heavyweight clash: Buckeyes vs. Longhorns. The champs were opening their season at home, and the crowd was already electric. Following that, OSU sophomore Logan Pallo lined up for a 33-yarder with $250,000 on the line. Pallo didn’t flinch. One swing. Straight through. Cash secured. Add that to Jack Daugard’s heroics, Pat McAfee has already shelled out $550,000 in just 2 weeks straight from his own pocket. Now, the running total? A jaw-dropping $1.1 M to students and another $1.25 M to charity. That’s McAfee making history. But is all that cash is coming from McAfee’s pocket?

If you’re still doubting, Dan Orlovsky settled it: McAfee really is the man footing the bill. And that’s no small tab. NFL vet or media star, it still stings to drop hundreds of thousands every time a student drills a kick. Yet McAfee does it, week after week. And interestingly, the segment has exploded, becoming College GameDay’s 2nd most popular feature behind the picks, with social clips going viral whenever McAfee ups the stakes. Right now, two weeks in, both kickers have cashed in, and McAfee has paid out big. But this was not the first time for Jack Daugard.

Daugard is an accounting major with a background in lacrosse

Jack Daugard admitted he wasn’t much of a kicker at least not before Saturday. “I (kicked) one time,” said Jack, just before his attempt. “It was kickoff in a JV game. It sucked.” But when the Oklahoma freshman from Manvel stepped onto the College GameDay stage, ESPN quickly realized they’d enlisted a ringer. Wearing cleats and ready to show off his leg, Daugard was far from an amateur. Daugard, an accounting major who played lacrosse at Pearland Dawson High School, clearly brought some of that field precision to the football stage.

The extra $100,000 given to charity went to one started by Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann, named ‘Light Beneath The Well foundation’. It has partnered with the nonprofit organization One Million Wells to help bring clean drinking water to impoverished communities in Uganda.

Right now, each week, McAfee, former Indianapolis Colts punter turned TV personality, selects a student to attempt a 30-yard kick, paying out from his own pocket for successful shots. It’s a brilliant idea, and Daugard’s reaction shows just how much fun and excitement McAfee’s field goal challenge brings to CFB.