It appears that even amid his meteoric rise in the sports media industry, for some, there is such a thing as too much Pat McAfee. The former NFL player-turned-media personality is known for creating The Pat McAfee Show and running with it, which began when he hosted it at Barstool Sports; since then, he's become a juggernaut and a focal point of ESPN's coverage. McAfee has appeared on everything from Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football to College GameDay and various shows before The Pat McAfee Show moved to ESPN in 2023.

While McAfee has become a staple at ESPN, the former Indianapolis Colts punter's role with the company is reportedly expanding even more. The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that, in addition to becoming a panelist on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, McAfee would also host an alternate telecast on weeks when Peyton and Eli Manning's alt-cast isn't on.

The added roles for McAfee were met with a mixture of amazement, excitement and some jokes about how much McAfee can be featured on ESPN. However, longtime SportsCenter host Linda Cohn had some blunt words for how much McAfee is being put center stage on The Linda Cohn Show's livestream, as Awful Announcing detailed.

Notably, Cohn did praise McAfee and didn't point the issues at him specifically, but rather at her former employer.

"I admire it all, but admiring what Pat McAfee has accomplished doesn’t mean I believe he needs to be everywhere at every time," Cohn said. "Because, yeah, ESPN wants Pat McAfee to be everywhere at every time. How much Pat McAfee is enough Pat McAfee?! The answer apparently was more."

"So, let’s review your potential Monday during the NFL season, which is just a couple of weeks away," Cohn said. "Three hours of Pat’s daily show, The Pat McAfee Show, from the game site. Then, Pat joins Monday Night Countdown before the game. And then, on certain nights, potentially, his own alternative broadcast of Monday Night Football. At this point, let’s just call it ‘Monday Night McAfee.'"

Cohn also cited ESPN cutting off First Take's on-air tribute to ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, who died Tuesday, and flipping to The Pat McAfee Show. She pointed out that McAfee addressed it on his show and explained that this isn't about "blaming" McAfee but rather about how something like that happens.

"You couldn’t script it any better; you couldn’t script it any worse," Cohn said. "Pat would later address it on his show, saying he had nothing to do with it. And that’s true. Pat had nothing to do with it. The network did, and that is exactly the point. This isn’t about blaming Pat McAfee. It’s about asking why an environment has been created where something like this actually happens, and Pat McAfee still ends up at the center of it anyway."

Obviously, given that Cohn spent 34 years as an anchor on SportsCenter, it's fair to say that her insight on ESPN as a whole carries some weight. But regardless of the understandable pushback from some on ESPN's plan for the upcoming NFL season, there's little reason to expect any last-minute pivots.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: SportsCenter legend unloads on ESPN over Pat McAfee: 'Just call it Monday Night McAfee'

It’s a new era for LSU football after hiring head coach Lane Kiffin during the offseason.

LSU heavily pursued him after firing Brian Kelly and landed him with a seven-year, $91 million deal.

Kiffin comes to the program after spending the previous six seasons at Ole Miss, finishing with a 55-19 overall record. He led Ole Miss to an 11-1 record in the regular season last year and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Kiffin’s task is to turn the LSU program around after it only won seven games last season, and ESPN’s Marcus Spears is super stoked about it.

MORE:ESPN ‘College GameDay’ location announced for Week 3

On Friday’s edition of First Take, he discussed how big the LSU-Ole Miss game on Sept. 19 is and how it could carry the LSU program for the rest of the year.

“This one right here (LSU-Ole Miss) is going to set the tone for all of the rest of the whole year,” Spears said. “We know how much is riding. We know the storyline and the narrative behind LSU and Ole Miss. But Ole Miss is actually going to be a really good football team, and I think you go into this game with what’s at stake, and they’re on the road in Oxford.”

Jordan (Rodgers) is gonna be there. They’re gonna have their tents out with all of this great food and all of that. My point is this, and truthfully I’m being a little facetious, but the reality is, this is a true statement that I’m making about LSU that I’ve been thinking about this season. The amount of confidence coming out of this game, if you go win it, is gonna carry you the rest of the way. There will be no more of a statement game in college football than this one.”

College GameDay will be in Oxford for this showdown, and it’s also on Saturday night in primetime. The entire country will be watching to see if Kiffin can beat his old school. If he does, it could potentially lead to a special season for LSU.

Kickoff for the LSU-Ole Miss game will be at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

—It’s opening night for the Louisville volleyball team, which will look for revenge against reigning national champion Texas A&M at 6 p.m. in Milwaukee. ESPN2 will have the national television coverage.

—Clev Lubin has been named to the Bednarik Award watch list.

—In addition to Seth Trimble, here’s a list of the other hoops players that were only protected by the Colorado case and will now need a state injunction to play in 2026-27.

—The NCAA has gotten to celebrate the rarity of all rarities: Two court victories in a single week.

NCAA on Wisne ruling: "The Association will separately continue to defend other similar putative class action lawsuits and the state court cases that have been filed by former student-athletes seeking additional eligibility and expeditiously appeal any cases where former… pic.twitter.com/rpZN7fQvq4

—Jeff Brohm will meet with the media following the conclusion of tonight’s practice, which should be around 5:45 p.m.

—WLKY got an exclusive sit-down with Lamar Jackson ahead of the Ravens’ 2026 season.

—It’s the opening Friday of the 2026 Kentucky high school football season. Jason Frakes and company make their picks for the week 1 local games.

—The CJ’s Brooks Holton assigns superlatives to the Louisville men’s basketball non-conference schedule.

The Must-Win: Dec. 12 at Kentucky

Louisville’s first win over Kentucky since 2020 was a party from start to finish. But the 96-88 victory last November lost some of its luster as the season progressed and the Wildcats finished 22-14 and fell out of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

To stake their claim as the program to beat in a rivalry series they trail 40-18, the Cards must accomplish something that hasn’t been done since 2008: leave Rupp Arena with a W on Dec. 12.

They have the momentum. If not now, when?

UK is the most vulnerable opponent mentioned in this story, ranking 25th (18 spots behind UofL) in Torvik’s 2026-27 projections as of mid-August. Mark Pope returns only two players who saw the court during last season’s loss at the Yum! Center: center Malachi Moreno and guard Kam Williams. His most impactful addition, former Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic, was also considering playing for Kelsey after withdrawing from the NBA draft pool. And he’s pushing to add ex-Missouri forward Mark Mitchell, who’s part of a “5-in-5” lawsuit that was filed in Louisville.

As if this matchup needed any more intrigue.

The Cards haven’t notched consecutive wins over Kentucky since the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, when the latter was mired in the Billy Gillispie era. Simply put: That streak needs to end this go-around, especially if UofL struggles with the early portion of its nonconference schedule.

—Moussa Kamissoko, Rivals’ No. 8 overall hoops prospect in the 2027 class, has scheduled official visits to nine programs, including Louisville.

—C.L. Brown writes about the immediate test that U of L’s new co-defensive coordinators are going to receive on Sept. 6.

—Pat Kelsey talks with Gary Parrish about his roster assembly, his discovered love for Louisville, and the high expectations for the 2026-27 season ahead.

—Expect Lincoln Kienholz’s mobility to unlock new elements of Louisville’s run game this fall.

—Tayon Holloway is embracing more of a leadership role on the Louisville defense this season.

—Fifth-year Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler picked BYU over Kentucky on Thursday night.

—There’s no one in my life, wife included, that I could spend 2.5 hours on a Zoom with.

Kentucky completed a 2.5-hour Zoom meeting with MSU transfer Jaxon Kohler on Wednesday

“As good as it could’ve gone,” one source told KSR

STORY: https://t.co/JZ24LCzalqpic.twitter.com/hmZKv73x8L

—Louisville got a handful of votes from anonymous coaches who were asked to predict the best team in college basketball for 2026-27.

—Flory Bidunga also received some votes from the same coaches as the best player in the country for 2026-27.

—The Louisville men’s soccer team opened its 2026 season with a 2-1 win over IU Indy on Thursday night.

—Stephen Lunney has been elevated to Associate Head Coach of Louisville men’s soccer.

—Butler High, stand up.

FASTBALL TO WATKINS 😤

📺: ESPN & KPIX pic.twitter.com/nz2iW58V4D

—The latest episode of the Starting 502 Podcast is here.

—Asa Montgomery, the No. 42 overall prospect in the class of 2027, has locked in a visit to U of L for this fall.

—Former Louisville women’s basketball guard and fan favorite Norika Konno was one of 12 players selected to Japan’s Women’s National Team that will compete in the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. The World Cup will be held in Berlin, Germany from September 4-13.

—Isaac Brown hasn’t been a full participant in fall camp practices so far, but he said earlier this week that the decision to be on the sidelines hasn’t been his.

“Yeah, I feel good. I’m feeling better though, and I’ve been feeling better. It’s just that they don’t want me out there,” he said Wednesday.

In fact, the all-purpose back told reporters that he has not been dealing with an injury during camp, and that Louisville – whether that be the training staff or coaching staff – has simply been precautious with him.

“I’ve been wanting to get back out there, but they’ve holding me (back) and putting me to the side,” he said. “But I’ve been telling them I’m ready to go back out there, and get back with my brothers and play with them.”

…

While Brown wound up finishing with a statistically great season last year, it was a step down from his true freshman campaign. He rushed for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, and this went down to 884 and seven, respectively, in 2025.

For Brown, this proved to be a lesson that he needs to place a bigger emphasis on staying healthy. Not only for his upcoming junior year, but if he is to stick around in the NFL.

“I learned that you got to take care of your body to play the full season,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t doing that. I was just out there. I feel like this year, I’m prepared to really play the whole season.”

—Brandon Sharp says that getting D’Angelo Hutchinson back at safety could be very big for his secondary.

—Sharp also says that the Cardinal defense has adopted the “Red Swarm” mantra that Sharp and company used during the 12-1 season of 2006.

—Pete Golding versus Jeff Brohm should be a battle of immensely gifted football minds.

Sit back and enjoy @OleMissFB HC @CoachGolding talk ball like no one else can 🤯#HottyToddypic.twitter.com/hYU0G5GeWD

—Isaac Brown makes the list of the 25 most intriguing non-quarterbacks for the 2026 college football season.

—I am dying to know just how bad this group chat was.

—The Brohm brothers appear to have found some real stability at the quarterback position heading into year four.

—We still have Flo and Bo, guys.

Flo and Bo are becoming my favorite duo. pic.twitter.com/IPWgjNT33P

—Cardinal Authority looks at where U of L’s football commits are playing during week one of the high school football season (in most states).

—Louisville has moved its football game against FCS Richmond to week zero of the 2027 season. The Cards will play at South Florida in week one.

—A 5-star high school football phenom plans to enroll at Miami in January at a time when he will be just 16-years-old.

—And finally, the Mike Rutherford Show is wrapping up the week from 2:30-5:30 this afternoon on 1450/96.1 The Big X. You can stream the show on the Thornton’s YouTube stream, here. There is much to discuss.

Real Betis plays host to Real Sociedad in their first match of La Liga 2026/27 on Friday night.

Jul 26, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini talks with Real Betis forward Chimy Ávila (9) during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

• Date: Friday, August 21, 2026
• Time: 2:55 PM EDT
• Channel: ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
• Stream: Fubo (watch in Spanish); ESPN Unlimited (watch in English)

Real Sociedad travels to Seville on Friday as the Basque contender hopes to beat La Liga rival Real Betis for the first time in nearly two years. Betis has won two in a row while hosting La Real, though Friday’s face-off will unfold in a different setting as the club uses the Estadio de La Cartuja as its temporary home while the Estadio Benito Villamarin undergoes renovations.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men failed to break into La Liga’s top four last term and settled for a fifth-place finish, nine points below Atletico Madrid directly above. That was, however, enough to snag the final Champions League qualification spot as Los Verdiblancos prepare for a return to Europe’s elite this term.

Real Sociedad could only secure 10th in the league but will feature in the Europa League after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first title in six years. Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo is yet to add any new talent to his squad outside of those stepping up from the academy, however, in what could be a worrying sign.

Hector Bellerin is a doubt for Betis due to an ankle knock the right-back suffered during the 1-0 friendly defeat to Inter Milan on Saturday. Meanwhile, La Real is hoping to end a streak of three straight defeats after falling to Chelsea, Toulouse and Cologne in pre-season.

Live stream Real Betis vs Real Sociedad in Spanish with Fubo: Start watching now!

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