ESPN, Pat McAfee Nearing Blockbuster Contract Extension

ESPN and Pat McAfee are in the midst of negotiating a major contract extension.

Feb 6, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Pat McAfee on the Pat McAfee Show set at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Pat McAfee has become a new staple across ESPN.

From the Pat McAfee Show on weekdays to ESPN's College GameDay show to an NBA Finals alternate broadcast, McAfee's ubiquity across the network is unparalleled. With record viewership funneling in from broadcasts featuring McAfee, ESPN is working to keep him around long-term.

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported the two sides were in negotiation for a contract extension in the neighborhood of $60 million annually on Tuesday. This deal would make McAfee the highest-paid employee in network history.

McAfee's Football Career

West Virginia Mountaineers kicker Pat McAfee (40) attempts a field goal | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native played his college football at West Virginia under Rich Rodriguez from 2005-08. McAfee was a field goal, kickoff and punting specialist in his four seasons with the Mountaineers and was considered in the voting for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy Awards at different points in his college football career.

McAfee was selected 222nd overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 NFL draft. He played all eight of his NFL seasons with the Colts, reaching a pair of Pro Bowls in 2014 and 2016.

Broadcasting beginnings

After he retired from football, McAfee started the Pat McAfee Show. The show originally made its way around a variety of different networks as its home, including Barstool Sports on Sirius XM, DAZN, Pat McAfee Inc. and Mad Dog Sports Radio on Sirius XM.

McAfee's major football coverage began with FOX in 2018 as he joined the network for both college and NFL coverage late in the season. His first appearances on ESPN were during the 2019 season as an analyst for the network's Thursday night college football coverage.

College GameDay

ESPN College GameDay analysts Pat McAfee and Nick Saban eat BBQ brisket for Evie Mae's during the show's live broadcast on the Texas Tech University campus on Nov. 8, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. | Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN announced its addition of McAfee to its College GameDay panel with Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, and, at the time, Lee Corso and David Pollack. Pollack was laid off by the network after the 2023 season, and Corso retired from the show on the first weekend of the 2025 season.

A year after adding McAfee to its College GameDay set, ESPN announced its decision to broadcast the Pat McAfee Show on weekday afternoons. The show has now aired daily on the network for three years.

In addition to his charismatic nature, ESPN has also fostered a bond between two opposite personalities in McAfee and former college head coach Nick Saban. ESPN added Saban to its College GameDay panel in 2024, less than a year after he announced his retirement from Alabama following a 17-year tenure.