Footage of an awkward moment between Nick Saban and Pat McAfee on the set of ESPN’s “College GameDay” emerged Saturday.
The footage, seemingly recorded by a cell phone, showed McAfee dancing in his seat and snapping his fingers while music blared. Saban sat still in his seat with his hands together, firing awkward glances at his colleague.
Saban repeatedly smacked his lips and looked down and away at times while McAfee danced just inches away.
One X user wrote in response, “Saban looks like the designated driver at a club while Pat had a few too many Tequila Sunrises or Vodka Cranberries.”
Nick Saban makes remarks to the assembled crowd of friends, supporters and agencies Aug. 14, 2024, at Bryant-Denny Stadium during the annual Nick’s Kids Foundation Luncheon. (IMAGN)
Both received criticism for their demeanors.
One user wrote, “Saban has no place on College Game Day. He is a Debbie Downer. Too dry. Too serious for Saturday morning!”
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Another user wrote, “The guy on the left needs to grow up a bit.”
The two hosts have taken very different paths to their respective seats on the show. Saban, who is in his first full season on the show, was one of the most successful head coaches in college football history during his 17-year stint leading Alabama from 2007-23. He won six national titles leading the Crimson Tide and a seventh with LSU in 2003.
President Trump poses for photos with the 2017 NCAA football national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide, at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 10, 2018, as coach Nick Saban holds a jersey. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
Saban announced his retirement in January. On Feb. 7, he was hired by ESPN as an analyst for “College GameDay.”
McAfee’s football background dates to his days as the punter for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009-16. He earned an All-Pro nod in 2014.
McAfee became a full-time host on “College GameDay” in 2022. McAfee launched his own podcast, “The Pat McAfee Show,” which debuted Sept. 9, 2019. His show was carried by Westwood One, Barstool Sports and Sirius XM, before moving to ESPN in September 2022.
ESPN host Pat McAfee jokes with staff before ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, on the University of Notre Dame campus in South Bend. (Greg Swiercz/USA Today Network)
McAfee’s show on ESPN has been defined by several unfiltered controversial moments, including when he referred to WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark with an expletive. He cut NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers from his weekly appearances after Rodgers suggested ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel could be on a list of Jeffrey Epstein associates.
Now, Saban and McAfee will be cohorts every Saturday during the college football season for the foreseeable future.
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