How Much Money Did Pat McAfee Give Away to the Winners of His Kicking Contest in 2025

Pat McAfee has been having the time of his life since he retired from his eight-year career as an NFL punter back in 2016. His show, The Pat McAfee Show, is currently one of ESPN’s biggest hits. And his antics on Saturday morning’s College Gameday broadcast are always unique, if not entertaining.

With his background as a punter, holder, and kickoff kicker—who once upon a time completed a solo onside kick for the Indianapolis Colts—McAfee is specifically attuned to that part of the game. So it makes sense that he created a way to mix his penchant for high drama and TV theatrics with his love for kicking on College Gameday.

In fact, there’s no doubt that college students around the nation are hoping throughout the season for McAfee and the Gameday crew to visit their campus. Not just for the broadcast, but for McAfee’s famed kicking contest. Part of the pre-game festivities on Saturday morning has included McAfee challenging one student from the host school to make a 33-yard field goal (the length of an extra point) for a big cash prize.

According to ESPN spokespeople, the money comes out of McAfee’s own pocket. And it’s no chump change either. In Week 1, an Ohio State sophomore named Logan nailed his kick for $250k. And he did it despite Kirk Herbstreit’s dog pooping on the kicking surface just before the event.

A freshman from Oklahoma named Jack split the uprights in Week 2 to win $200k for himself and $100k for charity. That meant McAfee had given away $550k in the first two weeks of the 2025 campaign.

The next week, a nuclear engineering major who had never kicked before in his life was not able to hit on his $600k kick, even after the crowd convinced McAfee to give him a mulligan. In Miami in Week 4, Henry tagged in his buddy Giovanni, but even that Italian name couldn’t help him with his kicking skills as he missed his $500k kick as well.

The students finally found the zone again in Week 5 with a finance major from Virginia named William, who called on his pal Carson, a soccer player, to take the kick for him. This time, the ringer came through, and they were awarded $300k, much to the chagrin of the Happy Valley crowd.

In Week 6, an Alabama senior named Gabby missed her kick for $500k, but a rejig of the game allowed Herbstreit to throw one through the uprights for her to win $300k. Halfway through the season, McAfee and co. had given away $1.15 million.

In Week 7, an Oregon freshman missed his kick for $250k and a Nick Saban car. Week 8 saw Georgia alum and NFL kicker Rodrigo Blankenship nail one for a $600k donation to charity, with Georgia student Ben making his second-chance kick for $100k. We’re now up to $1.85 million donated on the season.

In Week 9, Vanderbilt held a little football kicking training session to assist students who might win the McAfee raffle. Tyler Hwang didn’t need any of that. He boasted and bragged about his soccer and kicking history, then calmly nailed his kick. And he not only won $500k for himself, but $250k for charity as well. We’re now up to $2.6 million.

In Week 10, another student who won the raffle, Garrett Morris, handed the reins off to a ringer, high school kicker Jonah Knubel. McAfee really put this guy through it (he iced him and the whole deal), and he missed his first attempt. He was given another go, however. He made the second kick, and that won him and his buddy $250k and another $250k for charity. We’re up to $3.1 million at this point, with money handed out in seven of 10 weeks.

Texas Tech student John Machtolff won another $500k (half for him, half for charity) in Week 11. But in Week 12, a Pitt student missed two $1 million kicks in McAfee’s hometown.

Another second-chance make in Eugene in Week 13 for $100k and a $1 million second-chance miss at the Big House in Week 14 leaves our season tally (through Week 14) to $3.7 million given away by McAfee and company.

If nothing else, the weekly contest has certainly made more college-age people more likely to know how to kick a football.