Pat McAfee’s Kicking Is Easy contest hit a rough patch in Iowa City on Saturday as Iowa freshman Finley Banfig missed a seven-figure field goal opportunity on ESPN’s College GameDay.
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The latest attempt ended in disappointment, although former Iowa Hawkeyes star Dallas Clark ensured the morning still delivered a solid charitable contribution with a throw, helping Finley Banfig to secure $150,000, which was matched by Pat McAfee, taking the final amount to $300,000.
“We’ve got more than nine million dollars,” McAfee said, highlighting the money distributed through prizes and charitable contributions.
Prior to that, Banfig had missed the $2 million field-goal attempt kick.
The $9.3 million figure is the all-time total for the College GameDay kicking contest. It adds up what has been given away over the years, including this season. Clark’s $300,000 from Iowa City, on top of the more than $9 million from earlier, pushed the total.
The segment had already produced several big winners, including a Tennessee football fan who captured $1.5 million in Week 4 while NFL legend Peyton Manning watched.
Banfig, a freshman at Iowa, entered Saturday’s challenge hoping to join that list. The biology pre-med student told McAfee she planned to pursue orthopedic surgery, but her immediate priority was finding a way to pay for college.
“Well, you know, I have to pay for my school, so I gotta lock in,” Banfig said before her attempt, as Pat McAfee shared on X.
Unfortunately, her first kick traveled only a few yards forward. The student received another opportunity, but that attempt also missed the uprights, ending her chance to win the million-dollar prize.
The result marked a frustrating end to a successful stretch for McAfee’s weekly segment, but he still reassured her, as he said, “That’s okay,” to comfort her.
Students from Ole Miss, Texas and Tennessee had combined to win millions of dollars over the previous three weeks, raising expectations ahead of Iowa’s appearance on College GameDay.
Despite Banfig’s misses, the morning was not without a financial reward. Dallas Clark, the former Indianapolis Colts tight end and Iowa football legend, joined McAfee for the segment and helped give the home crowd another reason to celebrate.
Clark, who returned to Iowa after retiring from the NFL in 2014, threw a football through the field goal uprights. His successful attempt secured $150,000 for Banfig and another $150,000 for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. The donation held particular significance in Iowa City.
Kinnick Stadium is famous for the Hawkeye Wave. At the end of the first quarter of home games, fans and players turn toward the children’s hospital next door and wave to the patients. Clark’s donation added one more good moment to a tradition the program is already known for.
The former NFL tight end also had nice things to say about Iowa on the broadcast. He talked about the football fans, the hardworking people, and the welcoming community. His appearance helped the segment end on a good note, even after Banfig missed her kicks.
Saturday’s show was the first time in 20 years that College GameDay came to the Iowa City campus, with the Hawkeyes getting ready to host Ohio State.
Banfig couldn’t match what the earlier contestants did. Still, Clark’s $300,000 gift gave the morning something meaningful, even without the million-dollar prize.