The FBI advised ESPN commentator Pat McAfee to begin wearing a bulletproof vest the week after the assassination of Charlie Kirk last year, a source familiar with the situation told OutKick.
McAfee alluded to Kirk earlier this week while explaining why he did not feel safe filming “College GameDay” on the Utah Valley University campus.
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“And then I thought to myself, has anything like really scary happened at like a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?” McAfee said Monday during his show. “Like, do we think we should be amplifying reasons for why people hate my guts as a university? I don’t know.”
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Front Office Sports first reported the FBI’s advice to McAfee.
Pat McAfee appears on the College GameDay show before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 13, 2025. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)
ESPN released a statement that it takes all threats seriously, adding, “We support Pat and recognize the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security.”
It is unclear what specifically caused McAfee to feel unsafe on campus. However, an official university account posted a viral video that students used to mock McAfee as “corny” for ripping his shirt off on campus during “College GameDay.”
Kirk’s assassination in 2025 has raised concerns among polarizing media figures about their safety in public.
McAfee, arguably the biggest star in sports media, is frequently the target of hysteria and false accusations from internet users, especially after his interview with President Trump on ESPN earlier this year.
He appears weekly on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” which airs live from a college campus.
Pat McAfee takes the stage at ESPN College GameDay ahead of the University of Oklahoma–Michigan college football game in Norman, Oklahoma on Sept. 6, 2025. (IMAGN)
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McAfee did not respond to a text message from OutKick seeking comment on the FBI’s advice by the time of publication.
We will update this story if he provides an on-the-record statement.