ESPN TO AIR PAT MCAFEE FIELD PASS FOR SUPER BOWL LXI

Pat McAfee said on his show that ESPN will broadcast a "Field Pass" alternate presentation for Super Bowl LXI, alongside select Monday Night Football games this season. McAfee said he raised the idea with the NFL commissioner on several occasions after discussing the concept, and that league officials held multiple conversations before agreeing to it. He said reports had previously suggested the arrangement might happen, before confirming it as "breaking news" on his programme. McAfee thanked those he said had helped arrange the move, describing the outcome as "outrageous". He said the Monday Night Football field pass coverage will begin with a Washington Commanders game, according to his comments on the show.

Field Pass began as part of ESPN's college football coverage after McAfee joined College GameDay as a full-time analyst in September 2022. ESPN later expanded the format into its college football "MegaCast" offering, pairing McAfee's sideline presence with a separate commentary crew as an alternative to the main broadcast. The format was subsequently extended to multiple College Football Playoff games, featuring McAfee alongside AJ Hawk, Ty Schmidt and Darius Butler, among others. McAfee has handled play-by-play duties during these broadcasts, while Hawk and Butler have provided analysis from the sidelines.

ESPN is set to broadcast its first Super Bowl next year, and the Field Pass format will form part of its coverage. The move follows ESPN's addition of McAfee to Monday Night Countdown for the 2026 season. Reaction to the announcement included criticism from some NFL fans, with some outlets reporting negative responses on social media. No further details on which Monday Night Football games beyond the Commanders fixture will carry the alternate broadcast were given in McAfee's comments.