McAfee walks back Utah visit after students mock him on university account
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee got angry. The University of Utah's official Instagram posted students calling him creepy and corny.
ESPN's Pat McAfee visited the University of Utah on October 24 to host College GameDay. Students posted mean comments on the school's official Instagram account.
They called him creepy and corny. McAfee said he would have ignored the criticism if it came from personal accounts.
But the university itself shared it. That was the real problem.
"The University puts that out as I'm about to go do a commercial for the place?" he asked on his show four days later.
On Monday, the university apologized. Staff made a mistake, they said.
They wanted fun engagement but missed the mark. McAfee said he will skip Utah if GameDay returns there.
- October 24
- Visit date
- 1 million dollars vs 3 million dollars
- Prize money gap
- University of Utah
- School
Why it mattersIt shows how institutional backing makes criticism land harder than private mockery does. Universities work hard to manage their public image during major broadcasts.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect, but Australian sports media and university PR teams will watch how American universities handle similar situations.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
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