FBI advised Pat McAfee to wear body armour after Kirk’s killing
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
New reporting says the FBI advised ESPN commentator Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest in the week after Charlie Kirk was assassinated in 2025. The disclosure adds context to McAfee’s recent remarks that he did not feel safe filming College GameDay at Utah Valley University, though the article does not establish that the FBI’s advice was connected to that campus concern.
McAfee did not explain specifically what made him feel unsafe there. ESPN said it takes threats seriously and supports his safety concerns; a university account had posted a video that students used to mock him. The FBI advice was first reported by Front Office Sports, and McAfee had not responded to a request for comment when the article was published.
- Sources
- 2
- Outlets
- 2
- Left · Centre · Right
- 0 · 0 · 1
In short
- The FBI reportedly advised McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest.
- The advice came after Charlie Kirk’s 2025 assassination.
- McAfee recently said he felt unsafe filming on a Utah campus.
How this story developed
- 55 minutes ago A source familiar with the matter was cited in renewed coverage of the FBI’s vest advice, which broadened attention to security risks facing prominent media figures; McAfee still had not explained his campus concerns.
- 1 hour ago Reporting said the FBI advised ESPN commentator Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest in the week after Charlie Kirk’s 2025 assassination, while McAfee separately said he felt unsafe filming College GameDay at Utah Valley University; no link between the two concerns was established.
Full account
The FBI advised ESPN broadcaster Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest in the week after the 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to an unnamed source cited by Front Office Sports and repeated in other reports. The advice has resurfaced as McAfee has spoken about feeling unsafe at a recent College GameDay broadcast in Utah. The available accounts do not say what prompted the FBI’s recommendation or describe a specific threat linked to the Utah visit.
McAfee was in Salt Lake City for the ESPN programme ahead of Utah’s game against Houston. The University of Utah had posted a video inviting students to imitate him; some participants mocked his flamboyant style, including his habit of taking off his shirt. McAfee said the university’s decision to share the clip made him feel unwelcome as he prepared to broadcast from campus and promote the school to a national audience. He said the criticism itself was not his main concern, but questioned the university amplifying material that could give people reasons to dislike him.
On his show afterwards, McAfee alluded to Kirk’s killing, asking whether anything frightening had recently happened at a college gathering in Utah. The reports place the assassination in September 2025 and describe it as a factor in wider safety concerns among high-profile, politically polarising figures. One account also says McAfee receives threatening messages, including death threats, though it does not connect any particular message to the campus appearance.
The broadcast itself had tense moments: McAfee became irritated during a field-goal challenge after a student compared its prize with one offered at Brigham Young University the previous week. He later said he hoped not to return. Utah beat Houston 21–13, despite McAfee’s on-air prediction that Houston would win. The university removed the video and apologised, accepting responsibility for approving the post. ESPN said it takes threats seriously and supports McAfee’s safety concerns. The reports do not include an on-the-record response from McAfee about the FBI’s advice.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first source focuses on the reported FBI advice and ESPN’s response, and says it is unclear what specifically made McAfee feel unsafe on campus. The second gives a fuller account of the Utah broadcast, the student video, McAfee’s reaction and the university’s apology.
The first characterises the video as a viral post used by students to mock McAfee; the second describes the university’s invitation to students to impersonate him and gives more detail about the jokes and the broadcast. Both attribute the bulletproof-vest claim to an unnamed source and identify Front Office Sports as the first outlet to report it.
Explained simply
Pat McAfee is a former American football player who became a sports commentator for ESPN, a major US sports broadcaster. He also hosts a popular talk show and appears on College GameDay, ESPN’s programme covering college American football.
Charlie Kirk was a prominent US conservative activist who was assassinated in 2025. His killing prompted renewed concern about threats to well-known public figures, including people in media. The FBI is the US federal agency responsible for investigating major crimes and domestic security threats.
College GameDay visits university campuses, where students and crowds gather to watch the programme being filmed. Security concerns around such events can affect staff, guests and the wider campus community.
Coverage · 2 sources
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Fox News as “FBI advised ESPN star Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest after Charlie Kirk’s assassination”.