About a month ago, Pat McAfee capped off a successful season for ESPN’s College GameDay. It had been a long season for McAfee filled with some standout moments like offering a tomahawk steak to Nick Saban and consoling a young Texas Longhorns fan after the playoff defeat. As soon as the college football season came to a close, McAfee posted many photos capturing the journey of the past year and one of them was an adorable picture with his daughter Mackenzie. After a busy season of moving up and down the country, McAfee is finally able to spend more time with his family and recently shared an update that will melt hearts.

McAfee has his priorities set and as soon as the season ended, his wife Samantha posted an IG story of their daughter and Pat having an adorable moment together, with McKenzie holding his father’s hand. The caption of the story read, “She loves her daddy so much.” Well, it turns out McAfee is also doubling down on her love for his daughter as he took her to Disneyland for an experience of a lifetime and something that the former Colts punter says left him teary-eyed.

It was about time that Pat McAfee headed to a well-deserved vacation and what better trip to take with your infant daughter than Disneyland? The McAfee clan was posted up in Orlando and took to IG to share a montage of their weekend down there.

“Happiest place on earth indeed. It was magical watching Mackenzie dance her way through Disney. ✨👑” wrote Samantha McAfee on Instagram (née Ludy), alongside a video of their trip. Throughout the post, 15-month-old Mackenzie can be seen euphoric and bubbling with joy meeting ol’ Mickey Mouse and all the rest of the attractions. Goes without saying that Pat McAfee pulled no punches and went all-out, from flying private to the best accommodation for his family. Working for a Disney-owned entity in ESPN sure must’ve helped cut the queues! Interestingly, the ESPN employee isn’t too much into some of the iconic Disney characters.

He owned up to this, as well as his feelings for Samantha and Mackenzie in the comments section of the aforementioned IG post. “I didn’t know a lot of what was going on with the Disney characters BUT.. I had the greatest time watching you girls. Tears of joy numerous times.. SO DAMN PROUD OF OUR BABY GIRL’S MOXIE. 🗣 I LOVE YINZ” he wrote.

The video featured McKenzie walking hand-in-hand with her dad and enjoying the rides and parks at Disneyland. Not to mention, she also got a hug from Mickey Mouse itself! We also saw McAfee adorably dancing with his daughter aboard their private jet on their way to Orlando. This isn’t the first time McAfee has been spotted grooving with his toddler.

Back in November, Samantha shared a heartwarming video of her husband and daughter dancing together with the caption, “sweet memories.” McAfee’s love for his daughter was clear for everyone to see in Disneyland as he coddled her every step of the way. As someone who’s on the road week in and week out, this downtime with family has got to be special for McAfee, especially after a record-breaking season.

Before the start of the season, there was some doubt McAfee would return to College GameDay. There was some division between the viewers on seeing McAfee on the show, but once a deal was finalized, it worked wonders.  The show totaled 30 million viewers in 2024—the most-watched regular season in the show’s 38-year history.

Meanwhile, as he indulges in family time, duty is calling for McAfee.

“The Pat McAfee Show” has been on hiatus since the Super Bowl. The masses need their fix of entertainment, but the namesake also needs his fix of family time. But normality resumes soon. You can’t keep McAfee away from the game too long after all. He’s back at the first sight of a pigskin as the football season prepares for its opening domino.

ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” returns for the 2025 season from a befitting location

While football weekends remain vacant, a couple of ancillary offshoots help fill the air. Whether you’re a College Football traditionalist or someone embracing its modernization, the transfer portal at least provides a spark between January and the fall. But most programs have concluded their business, and National Signing Day is also past us. The recruitment cycle is all but over, and there ain’t much ahead of spring football. The drama never ceases, though. 

The NFL Draft fever takes over now, and it penetrates through to both rungs of the ladder. CFB fans are captivated by seeing players they saw develop from high school kids into professional adults. NFL fans get a taste of what’s to come. Storylines are aplenty on both sides, and they finally converge. The first official step of the process is upon us- the Draft Combine.

Speaking of traditions, the Combine will be held in Indy as it has every year since 1987. Pat McAfee, an adopted son of the city, will befittingly resume his show from the Combine. February 26 will be the first telecast of the 2025 season. Heading back to Lucas Oil Stadium is bound to make the emotions run for Colts’ cult legend Pat McAfee. Ironically, It’s kind of like his own Disneyland trip! Samantha and MacKenzie will continue to permeate their love as McAfee does what he does best, entertain a national audience with his eccentricity meshed with some cogent analysis.