Utah Apologizes After McAfee Criticizes Mocking Video

The University of Utah removed a social-media video mocking ESPN analyst Pat McAfee and apologized after he said the post made him uncomfortable before a College GameDay broadcast in Salt Lake City. McAfee said he hoped not to return to the campus; the university said it had intended a lighthearted post and did not mean to make him feel unsafe or unwelcome. The video, posted on the university’s official social-media accounts ahead of Saturday’s broadcast, asked students to imitate McAfee. Students joked about his on-air catchphrases and his habit of taking off his shirt during the show. McAfee said on his Monday program that he objected to the university publishing the remarks shortly before he addressed the crowd, rather than to students making jokes on their own. He said seeing the post before going in front of thousands of people felt uncomfortable. McAfee also referred to the 2025 fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, asking whether a university should amplify reasons people might hate him. His comments conveyed his reaction; the reports do not independently establish that the video posed a physical threat. Utah said its goal had...