Adam Cairns-Imagn Images via the USA Today Network

Pat McAfee Suffers $300K Blow on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 12:01 PM ET

Penn State’s Old Main Lawn was whited out and raucous Saturday morning when Pat McAfee’s on-air kicking contest, now one of the most viral "College GameDay" segments, produced another big payday.

A Penn State student stepped up, connected on a 33-yard attempt and immediately celebrated with McAfee and fellow "GameDay" panelist Kirk Herbstreit as Nittany Lions fans erupted.

The successful attempt earned the student a $300,000 oversized check, a figure that comes straight out of McAfee's pocket.

Officially, ESPN’s contest paperwork describes a raffle among the first fans in the "Pit" with a single, unpracticed attempt at a 33-yard field goal; the baseline sponsor prize listed in the rules is $25,000.

However, McAfee has repeatedly added to that prize pool, paying six-figure (and larger) amounts personally and sometimes donating or doubling funds for causes on site.

ESPN’s Julie McKay noted on Thursday how McAfee has given out more than $2 million of his own money over his time on the show.

"IT HAS BEEN AN EXPENSIVE YEAR OUT HERE AT THE FIELD GOAL KICK!"

Right down the middle for $300K pic.twitter.com/ay2lMwGeul
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 27, 2025

McAfee's generosity has produced both jaw-dropping highs and headline-grabbing near misses.

In November 2024, a Georgia student’s successful kick triggered an $800,000 outcome (a combination of splits and donations), while earlier this month, an Oklahoma Sooners fan nailed a $200,000 kick in Norman.

Even more surprisingly, Front Office Sports reported that last season's "College GameDay" dodged more than $5 million worth of field goal attempts.

McAfee joined the show’s analyst team in 2022 and moved "The Pat McAfee Show" onto ESPN platforms in 2023 under a multiyear licensing agreement (reported at roughly $85 million over five years).

The kick contest is explicitly McAfee's idea, and as a former punter and kicker for the West Virginia Mountaineers and in the NFL, it's very on-brand. It also drives social clips, attention and the anything-can-happen atmosphere McAfee brings to "College GameDay" every Saturday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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