Despite remaining one of the most polarizing voices in the CFB media landscape, Pat McAfee faced a harsh reality check from CFB fans. While that indicates his presence on College GameDay isn’t loved by everyone, some fans still came out to support the ESPN personality.

While Pat McAfee’s star power on ESPN’s College GameDay is facing a test, a new survey from The Athletic shows support for the former NFL punter and media personality is slipping among CFB fans.

On Monday, Awful Announcing shared that with the caption, “The Athletic survey shows declining support for Pat McAfee on ‘College GameDay.'”

When fans were asked, “How do you feel about Pat McAfee on College GameDay?” Nearly half of respondents, 49.5%, said they “don’t like” McAfee on the show, while just 31.6% said they do, and 18.9% had no opinion.

The trend is subtle but telling. In the three years The Athletic has asked this question, but McAfee’s approval ratings among CFB fans have fallen to an all-time low coming out of the 2025 season.

Back in 2024, only 42.5% of voters expressed negativity, and in 2023, 48.9% said they didn’t like him.

Although that first poll even had McAfee publicly considering leaving GameDay. But he returned and quickly became a centerpiece of the program.

Since Lee Corso retired, McAfee’s final segments have gone WWE-style, with rants and high-energy home-team picks that send the crowd into a frenzy. It’s the kind of personality-driven theatrics that has kept College GameDay thrilling for decades, even if it’s not universally loved. Interestingly, fans still overwhelmingly back GameDay itself.

In the same survey, 83.6% of respondents preferred it to Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff. That suggests many viewers watch despite McAfee, not because of him. Or perhaps it shows just how polarizing he is, a figure who divides opinion yet remains impossible to ignore in sports media.

While College GameDay set viewership records this season, McAfee’s sponsored field-goal contest is almost universally loved. A rare moment of unity on Saturday mornings. But the divide remains. Obviously, there’s a sizable group of college football fans who simply aren’t sold on McAfee.

Still, some supporters believe McAfee has certainly put his stamp on the show.

Pat McAfee’s College GameDay presence sparks fan debate

Pat McAfee has been a full-time analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay since 2022. Although his contract status became a point of discussion amid fan criticism in 2023, he returned in 2024 and remains part of the current panel alongside host Rece Davis.

But while recent surveys suggest many fans don’t love his presence on GameDay, this is where McAfee’s supporters step in, backing the ESPN personality and the energy he brings to the show.

“Nah, @PatMcAfeeShow is our king 🫡👑,” wrote one fan.

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McAfee’s polarizing comments have naturally divided fans, but they’ve also helped boost College GameDay’s viewership. So, you may not love him, but you can’t ignore him, and one fan even summed it up with a blunt comment.

“Which part of his shenanigans do they not like? He is quite entertaining and brings energy at these 8am game forecasts on college campuses. He seems more likable than the commentators during the game,” said that fan.

While College GameDay features analysts like Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, and Desmond Howard, McAfee’s presence adds more fun and appeals to younger viewers, according to fans. That impact is clear in the historic viewership peak: the 2025 season averaged 2.7 million viewers per show, a 23% increase year over year from 2024.

One fan put it best, saying, “Pat McAfee is a living legend.”

Still, the survey makes it clear that many college football fans don’t like his humor or his joking style. However, his supporters continue to push back against the negativity and defend the energy he brings to the show.

“Disagree. We love @PatMcAfeeShow brings youth and fun,” wrote one fan, while another kept it different, stating, “Among the things wrong with ESPN, he ain’t in the top ten.”

Whenever opinions are shared, not everyone agrees, and McAfee is no exception. But despite the divided support, his role at ESPN continues to grow brighter.