• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

College Students Have Already Won $550K in McAfee Kicking Contest This Season

ESPN analyst and former college and NFL kicker and punter McAfee started his ESPN College GameDay Kicking Challenge in 2023.

The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.
The Columbus Dispatch

Beginning in 2023, ESPN analyst and former NFL kicker and punter Pat McAfee launched his ESPN College GameDay Kicking Challenge, where students can attempt a 33-yard kick to earn earn five- or six-figure sums.

McAfee’s premise is to show fans that kicking an extra point isn’t as easy as it looks on television. In the first year of the challenge, only one student made the kick all season.

But so far this season, two contestants have made it look easy.

The gimmick, especially with McAfee at the helm, quickly became a fan favorite—so much so that the GameDay crew drove McAfee’s goalposts in a truck overnight from South Bend, Ind., to Columbus, Ohio, during a special two-episode, 24-hour expanded College Football Playoff edition of the show at the end of December.

Each episode, the crew picks one fan from the crowd of the game to kick a 33-yard field goal live on-air—the length of an extra point—in exchange for a monetary prize to help cover the cost of tuition and, in some cases, an extra amount for charity. Fans who are 18 or older and among the first 300 to show up to the broadcast are eligible—they just can’t be current or former college athletes, or under the influence of alcohol, or wearing shoes besides sneakers or cleats. Fans enter their name through a raffle, which takes place about 30 minutes before the show begins. (The official rules are on ESPN’s website.)

In 2023, Greyson Wilhelm, a Washington sophomore, showed up to the GameDay broadcast with a sign that said “kicking is easy.” He earned $30,000 after converting on his second try.

Contestants had better luck last year. During the regular season, four students converted kicks for a total of $650,000. In some cases, McAfee offers to double the prize upon a second try, with a promise to give a portion to charity…or volunteers the show’s celebrity guest picker—most recently actor Glen Powell—to contribute. 

Here’s a tracker of all the students who have made kicks this year—for a total of $550,000 so far:

  • Week 1 in Columbus for Texas vs. Ohio State: Sophomore Ohio State student Logan Pallo made the kick on the first try for a total of $250,000. He was originally offered $50,000, but McAfee upped it to $250,000 during the show—even taking a marker to add a “two” to the check Pallo held up after the game.
  • Week 2 in Norman for Oklahoma vs. Michigan: Oklahoma freshman Jack Daugard nailed a field goal to win $200,000 for himself and $100,000 for Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann’s foundation. Jack came prepared, wearing his own cleats for the kick.

Editors’ Note: This story will be updated with more made kicks.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Ryan Clark Could Be On Thin Ice at ESPN After Second Public..

Clark and Peter Schrager had a tense on-air moment Friday.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and linebacker C.J. Hicks (11) shake hands while leaving the field following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7

How Ohio State Rebuilt Its NIL Strategy in the Rev-Share Era

The Buckeyes are staying “aggressive” in the new NIL landscape.

NIL Go Corrects Its Data From $80M in Deals Cleared to $35M,..

It’s another bump in the rocky rollout of the new NIL clearinghouse.

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.

Featured Today

Tennis

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
Workers set up the stages for the “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” sports show live telecast before Saturday’s Iowa State and Iowa football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
exclusive
September 3, 2025

Big 12 Embraces Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

The conference held a call with Portnoy to discuss coverage and collaboration.
Arch Manning
September 4, 2025

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So..

NIL collectives, however, say the majority of their deals are in limbo.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
Aug 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Langston Patterson (10) looks over the defense against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium.
September 3, 2025

Latest Class Action Eligibility Lawsuit Challenges NCAA’s ‘Redshirt’ Rule

It’s the latest lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s core eligibility requirements.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
September 2, 2025

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.
Mike Gundy
September 2, 2025

OSU’s Gundy, Oregon’s Lanning Trade Barbs Over Alleged $30 Million Gap

Lanning ripped Gundy’s “excuse” and said “we spend to win.”
FSU
September 2, 2025

ACC Hits Florida State With First $50K Storming Fine Under New Rule

The ACC announced a new fine system in July.