Utah apologizes to ESPN analyst over ‘uncomfortable’ experience

SECPat McAfee (left) and Nick Saban at ESPN "College GameDay" before Alabama vs. Georgia in Tuscaloosa Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com)Ben FlanaganThe University of Utah has apologized to Pat McAfee for “any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome” during ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday. The university released a statement late Monday saying they’re “grateful to have had the chance to welcome Pat McAfee and the entire ESPN ‘College GameDay’ crew to campus” and have “always enjoyed a terrific relationship and positive experiences with the entire crew.”McAfee, during his show Monday, said that he felt “uncomfortable” after the University of Utah put out a video ahead of Saturday’s broadcast from campus asking fans to share their best Pat McAfee impersonation.McAfee said after seeing the video he thought back to the Charlie Kirk shooting, which occurred at Utah Valley University.Utah’s statement said the goal was “to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark.” Officials said they have reached out to McAfee to “express appreciation and regret.”“We sincerely apologize for creating any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome on our campus,” the university statement read. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Pat and the entire GameDay crew are always welcome at the University of Utah and we deeply appreciate the opportunity ESPN provides to showcase our university and community.”Mark Heim is a senior writer who provides sports, news and trending content. He co-hosts a daily sports radio show on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile. Heim has been recognized with awards for his writing, headlines and...