Pat McAfee rolled into Bloomington fresh off a rough week at another college campus, and Indiana fans were ready to give him a much warmer welcome. The crowd at ESPN’s College GameDay was loud from the first minute, and McAfee had them going with chants all morning.

Still, the moment fans are talking about came after the live show was over, and it brought back a story from just one week earlier.

“Pat McAfee, off the air, takes his shirt off for the raucous #iufb crowd,” wrote Zach Horwitz of IU Sports Media on X.

McAfee climbed onto the stage and took it off after Indiana basketball legend Isiah Thomas and the fans urged him on, chanting “take it off.”

“That’s a wrap on College GameDay! See you at The Rock,” Official Indiana football also posted on Instagram, highlighting the moment.

It stands out because of what happened at Utah a week earlier. Before the October 24 show in Salt Lake City, the school’s official Instagram account posted a video asking students to imitate McAfee. However, some students took it far by calling him “corny” and “creepy” because of his antics of taking his shirt off on the show.

McAfee did not like that the university’s official Instagram handle put it out. When Utah fans later chanted “take it off,” he first declined, but then gave in with some help from Nick Saban, who held the chair, as McAfee stood on it.

On The Pat McAfee Show two days later, McAfee made his feelings clear. He said he has “enjoyed this college football season,” but “did not enjoy the University of Utah.”

He also said seeing the video right before facing the crowd left him uncomfortable. In response, the university took the post down and apologized, saying it intended “lighthearted engagement” and apologizing for any perception that McAfee was unsafe or unwelcome.

But Bloomington felt like a different place. The show ran from 9 a.m. to noon ET at Showalter Fountain, the third time Indiana has hosted and the first since 2024.

McAfee led the crowd in “The great state of…INDIANA,” and the fans shouted back “Indiana!”

He also gave a nod to the Hoosiers’ #DrenchGang tradition. Fans also sang “Happy Birthday” to Saban for his 75th, and insider Pete Thamel showed up as Buzz Lightyear. Even the kicking contest had its moment, when a fan named Jackson from Jasper, Indiana, missed his first kick and then missed again on a second attempt.

The real business starts Saturday afternoon. No. 4 Indiana, the defending national champion, is 7-1 and hosts 5-2 Minnesota at Memorial Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS for Homecoming. The Hoosiers bounced back from their 19-15 loss to Ohio State with a 13-6 overtime win at Michigan, and they are allowing just 12.0 points per game, second-best in the country.

The post Cameras Catch as Pat McAfee Strips Off for Indiana Fans Off-Air After Taking Issue With Utah’s Mockery of His Antics appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.