Dan Lanning, Pat McAfee team up for massive charity donation

Dan Lanning is laser-focused on helping the Oregon Ducks take down Oklahoma State on the road this Saturday, but that doesn't mean he can't help contribute toward a good cause off the field as well.

During a pregame interview on ' College Gameday,' Lanning walked the field at Boone Pickens Stadium while chatting with the hosts of the famous pregame show. Kirk Herbstreit noticed Lanning was holding a football near the goal line and pushed for fellow host Pat McAfee to issue a challenge to the Oregon coach.

"I'm juiced up, man," Lanning said. "I'm hoping we can raise a little money for something, Pat."

McAfee, always generous with his fortune, backed the challenge. If Lanning could throw the ball and hit the crossbar from the 10-yard line (a 20-yard throw), McAfee would donate $500,000 to the charity of Lanning's choice.

Lanning missed on the first throw, but McAfee gave him another chance, backing up to the 15-yard line. Oregon has improved every season under Lanning, and the coach improved on his next chance as well. Lanning bounced the ball off the crossbar and landed the big score.

McAfee's massive donation will go to the Sam Day Foundation, a charity focused on research surrounding childhood cancer. Lanning has worked with the foundation in the past, most recently raising money through Cameo and sending personalized videos to fans and donating the money to the charity. Lanning targeted $50,000 for the challenge, but wound up raising $100,000 instead.

Lanning didn't let McAfee donate alone. The Ducks ' leader added $50,000 of his own to the pot for a cause that is near and dear to him and his family.

In 2024, Oregon wore yellow uniforms designed by the Lanning family to honor his wife, Sauphia, who has been cancer-free since 2017. A portion of the retail proceeds from the " Heroes" uniform collection went straight to the University of Oregon's Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and the Oregon Cancer Foundation.

Lanning has scored big off the field, and now will look to score big on it. The Ducks are set for an early kickoff in Stillwater against Oklahoma State in the first road test of the season.

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