Chase Hansen sends Pat McAfee public apology after Utah’s College GameDay stunt sparks backlash against the university
In an Instagram video shared on October 28, Hansen said a university social media post should not define the entire Utah fan base. Former Utah football captain Chase Hansen has publicly apologized to Pat McAfee after the ESPN host had a bad experience during College GameDay in Salt Lake City. He also invited McAfee to visit again, hoping the host would see the good side of the school and its people.
In its statement, it said, “Our goal during the visit was to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark. “I didn’t feel like we represented super well as a fan base,” Hansen said in his Instagram video. The university later accepted responsibility for the post and issued a public apology. Hansen then shared his own message, asking McAfee not to judge the entire Utah community based on one poor decision. He added that the students’ remarks and the university’s decision to post the video did not represent everyone who supports the Utes.
McAfee spoke about the incident on The Pat McAfee Show on October 26, making it clear that he had not enjoyed his visit. Hansen played in 43 games for Utah, started 35 of them and served as a team captain in 2018. That season, he recorded 114 tackles, earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was named a second-team All-American.
He said he would rather not return to the university, even though he praised the Utah football team for being good at its job. He said the team brings together players from different backgrounds, and he credited former head coach Kyle Whittingham, current head coach Morgan Scalley and the wider coaching staff for helping build a strong team culture. Hansen also explained that Utah football has built a strong identity around being tough and playing with an edge, but he believes that attitude can sometimes affect how people behave away from the field. His time with the program gives him a personal connection to the school and its fans.