Caitlin Clark Lifts College GameDay to 2.9 Million Viewers as Podcasters Question McAfee Appearance
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 8
Caitlin Clark Lifts College GameDay to 2.9 Million Viewers as Podcasters Question McAfee Appearance
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 8
Summary
ESPN’s Saturday "College GameDay" averaged 2.9 million viewers — its biggest audience of the season and largest October crowd in the show’s 40-year history — after Clark returned to Iowa to promote her Nike shoe and make picks.
The final hour featuring Clark drew 3.7 million viewers, even as podcast hosts Charlotte Wilder and Madeline Hill criticized her for appearing alongside Pat McAfee and argued she should do more for her public image.
McAfee had called Clark a "white b----" in 2024 while defending her impact on the WNBA, later apologized for the wording, and Clark accepted that apology, according to the report.
Wilder also said Clark should speak more forcefully against racism, though Clark has repeatedly condemned racist abuse and threats in public comments in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The clash highlights how Clark’s soaring commercial and audience pull — from a near-sold-out Nike shoe launch to record TV numbers — is still colliding with broader debates over race, media scrutiny and her role in policing fan behavior.