Pat McAfee revealed details of his future on his YouTube show on Wednesday. It was announced late Tuesday night that he is now a full-time member of the College GameDay cast for ESPN.
McAfee revealed that discussions about a role at ESPN began at the end of the last college football season. He sat in a suite at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game with ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro. The two have been sharing ideas and negotiating ever since.
According to McAfee, the deal got done earlier this week and has him locked into College GameDay for the next two seasons.
“I am a lucky ing human. I know that,” Pat McAfee said. “I am trying to enjoy that as much as possible. I am living the dumbest life possible. I am trying to work my ass off, so hopefully karma does come around a little bit and if I didn’t work my ass off, Tim and Sally McAfee would be embarrassed.”
McAfee has been on College GameDay in the past. In 2019, he had a deal with ESPN that saw him with his toe in the company’s waters in several different ways including GameDay, Thursday night college football, and appearances on Get Up.
When that contract ended, McAfee said the timing felt wrong to try and work out a new deal. It was impossible to keep up the pace all of his jobs had created. Now, when it comes to ESPN, he can turn all of his attention to College GameDay, which he has held in high regard for as long as he can remember.
“It is an honor. It’s a show that is an institution. It’s a Saturday staple in all of our lives, from Truck drivers to suits and everybody in between. Saturday morning has a routine and it revolves around College GameDay.”
One thing will have to change. Pat McAfee said the WWE insisted he take time off to make his new role on College GameDay a priority. He says that his role on Smackdown is as important to him as anything that he does, so he is still part of the company, but he will not be on TV for a while.
“I am still very much in the WWE family and as one OG from the WWE said to me in a message that was very heartfelt, ‘Now one of our guys is on GameDay.’” He said. “So I am still very much part of the WWE family, will still very much be doing things, but for the good of college football and the good of the opportunity that is in front of me right now, I’ll be focused on College GameDay on Saturdays, this show Monday through Friday and then trying to watch every NFL game on Sundays.”
Triple H, the WWE’s Chief Content Office, confirmed the arrangement and the company’s support for Pat via Twitter.
McAfee insisted that his audience know that nothing in his media career is as important to him as his daily show. He said that every decision he has made in terms of other opportunities has been driven by what it means for the daily show.
“It has turned into something that I am passionate about and love more than any other chapter in the rest of my entire life,” he said. “I will never sacrifice this show for anything.”
