Pat McAfee’s College GameDay kicking contest is back and bigger than ever in 2026. And after just two weeks, it’s already given away the largest prize in its history.
The kicking contest had an uncertain fate before the 2026 season got underway, but was finally confirmed last month for a fourth season. After giving away millions of his own dollars, McAfee is joined this year by Home Depot, which will match what he gives away in the newly dubbed “Kicking is Easy” contest.
But the College GameDay star can easily get away with himself when it comes to spontaneously upping the ante on any given Saturday. And that’s exactly what happened with the program in Austin before the big showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Connor stepped up not just with the pressure of the kick and the huge cash prize, but with Matthew McConaughey watching on. And to add to the moment, he even decided to kick barefoot. And if that wasn’t enough, he pledged to give half of his winnings to a charity in Indianapolis, near where he grew up.
After missing his first kick worth $1 million, Connor got a second chance. And Pat McAfee added another $100,000 from both McConaughey and Kirk Herbstreit. With the total now at a new GameDay record of $1.2 million, Connor blasted it through the uprights.
Connor nails a $1.2 million kick in Pat McAfee’s kicking contest on College GameDay!
He announced before his first try ($1 million) that he’d give half of his winnings to charity. 🏈💰 pic.twitter.com/ctWe78Y4P8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 12, 2026
In the words of Mr. McConaughey, all right, all right, all right.
That wasn’t the only cash being given out on GameDay, as McAfee also pledged $500,000 to a charity of Dan Lanning’s choice as the Oregon coach succeeded in a crossbar challenge during a remote interview.
The field goal kicking contest has become the highlight of College GameDay each week, but this may have been the best one ever. How can you top a $1.2 million prize with arguably the most famous Texas alum watching on and have the feel-good story of having the student pledge beforehand that he was going to pay it forward himself? That’s not the stuff of ESPN; that’s a story that’s fit for a Hallmark Channel movie.
About Matt Yoder