ESPN host Pat McAfee is catching heavy flak after he appeared to equate student criticism of him with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a comparison many called absurd and offensive.
McAfee, a central figure on ESPN's "College GameDay" pregame show, said on his daily program that he "did not enjoy" a recent trip to the University of Utah, where the show was set to broadcast. His discomfort stemmed from an Instagram post by the university featuring students previewing the show's arrival, some of whom labeled him "corny" or "creepy."
"The university puts that out as I'm about to go out and do an infomercial for this place, this is how the university feels about this," McAfee said. "It made me feel a little mute, a little bit weird."
He then took it further, referencing the killing of Kirk, which occurred on the campus of Utah Valley University last year. "I thought to myself, did something else happen pretty scary at a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?" he continued. "Like should we be amplifying reasons why people hate my guts? So I don't know, it was a lot of mixed feelings."
The University of Utah later apologized for the Instagram post, but McAfee's remarks ignited a firestorm on social media. Former cable news host Keith Olbermann wrote on X that McAfee is an "imbecilic child – and soft," adding, "Tough guy can't handle critical videos from kids? So he'd last a solid 8, 9 minutes in the real world."
Another user on X mocked the comparison: "Pat McAfee thinking he's important enough to get assassinated is much funnier than anytime he's taken his shirt off."
Some argued the university had nothing to apologize for. Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wolken wrote, "They didn't miss the mark. No apology is needed. Watch the video. This is insanity."
The incident has renewed scrutiny of McAfee's on-air persona, which often blends sports commentary with political undertones. It also comes as security failures at UVU in the Kirk assassination remain a subject of public debate, and as Utah has honored Kirk's legacy with a commemorative day. McAfee's comparison, critics say, trivializes a real tragedy and inflates his own importance.
Neither McAfee nor ESPN has issued a formal statement beyond his on-air comments. The network has not indicated any disciplinary action.
