‘Is This a Work?’ ‘I’d Go Back in a Heartbeat’ — Dave Portnoy Makes Feelings Clear on Pat McAfee-Utah Controversy, Asks If ESPN Star Faked Beef

Dave Portnoy apparently left Utah with a very different review than Pat McAfee. With McAfee's complaints about his "College GameDay" visit turning into a controversy, the Barstool Sports founder offered an enthusiastic endorsement of the school. Then he floated another possibility. Was everyone getting worked up?

Dave Portnoy Praises Utah and Questions Pat McAfee's Feud

Portnoy made his feelings about the campus experience clear in a post addressing the controversy.

"With all this Mcafee controversy I just want to say I loved Utah. Granted this was before I became Provo Dave but I loved it. Crowd was great. Fans were great. Id go back in a heartbeat with Barstool Football Show," Portnoy wrote .

His enthusiasm came as McAfee faced backlash over his explanation that he felt uncomfortable at Utah . Portnoy's own experience gave him little reason to join the ESPN personality's complaints about the visit.

In another post, he wondered whether the dispute might have an entertainment angle. "Is this a work? Aren't they going back for the Holy War in 2 weeks?" Portnoy asked .

"Work" is wrestling terminology for something staged. Portnoy was raising that possibility, with a potential return for the Utah-BYU rivalry serving as his punchline. His post offered no evidence that McAfee had manufactured the dispute or that a return visit was confirmed.

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Portnoy also expressed surprise in a video shared by another account.

"Utah is awesome. Great environment. Great fans… so that was a little surprising..," Portnoy said in the clip .

That left him with two fairly straightforward positions. He enjoyed Utah, and he was having trouble squaring his experience with the controversy unfolding around McAfee.

McAfee's frustration centered on a video posted by Utah's official Instagram account before Saturday's show. Students mocked him in the video, and he objected to the university distributing it while he was preparing to appear before its audience.

"I've never been more uncomfortable, honestly in my life," McAfee said Monday while explaining his reaction. He also referenced the 2025 killing of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University when discussing his concerns.

ESPN subsequently supported its host. The network said protecting its presenters, production staff, and spectators was a priority and that threats directed at team members warranted serious attention.

"We support Pat and recognize the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security," an ESPN spokeswoman said.

Utah also apologized, accepting responsibility for publishing the video. The school said it had intended a lighthearted post, acknowledged that it had missed the mark, and apologized for creating any perception that McAfee was unsafe or unwelcome.

Those responses treated McAfee's concerns seriously. Portnoy's question about a staged feud remains his speculation.

His offer to return, however, required considerably less interpretation. Whatever McAfee decides about another trip, Portnoy sounds ready to put Utah back on Barstool's itinerary.