Pat McAfee’s “Kicking Is Easy” challenge has now distributed more than $17 million in prizes and charitable donations. The total passed that milestone after Easton Hudson made a 33-yard field goal during ESPN’s *College GameDay* broadcast from Boise State on November 14, earning the fan a $1 million prize.
The successful kick added another seven-figure payout to a contest that gives *College GameDay* attendees the chance to attempt a 33-yard field goal. Now in its fourth season, the challenge has become a recurring live-broadcast feature, with each attempt offering the possibility of a major prize.
Hudson’s kick brought an immediate celebration on the set. Former NFL coach Chuck Pagano helped prepare him for the attempt, encouraging him to picture the ball going through the uprights before he kicked.
Kirk Herbstreit captured the excitement in a post on X, reacting to the Boise win and joking that the challenge was “getting expensive.” The comment reflected how quickly the contest’s cumulative payouts have grown.
## How the challenge’s total passed $17 million
Before the Boise broadcast, McAfee and the challenge had distributed more than $16 million in prizes and charitable donations. Hudson’s $1 million win pushed the cumulative figure beyond $17 million through Week 11 of the season.
The total includes both prize money awarded to contestants and donations made to charitable causes. The funding comes from McAfee and the challenge’s financial partners—not ESPN.
McAfee funded the challenge himself during its first three seasons. In 2026, The Home Depot joined as a matching partner. Under the arrangement, McAfee and The Home Depot each contribute $500,000 toward the standard $1 million prize.
Other contributors have sometimes added money to individual rewards, increasing the amount beyond the usual prize. That support has helped produce several of the season’s largest moments.
## A season of major wins
Hudson’s Boise victory followed a series of notable payouts in 2026. In Week 2, Texas freshman Connor Kacena-Merrell made his second attempt and secured $1.2 million. That total included an additional $100,000 from Herbstreit and another $100,000 from actor Matthew McConaughey.
Ole Miss freshman James Whitehead made his first attempt in Week 3, winning $1 million. In Week 4, Tennessee’s Colby Lamb earned another $1 million after converting his second kick.
The challenge has also produced memorable moments beyond successful field goals. In Iowa, Finley Banfig missed his attempt but still received $150,000. McAfee also donated $1 million to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
One of the season’s largest rewards came during the BYU broadcast in October. Carter Smith, a student dressed as Spider-Man, made his second attempt and received $3 million. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and his business partner Ryan Sweeney each contributed an additional $1 million, bringing the reward well above the standard prize.
Together, these moments made 2026 a particularly costly season for the contest’s contributors. Hudson’s win in Boise added another million-dollar payout and took the cumulative amount awarded through the challenge and its charitable contributions past $17 million.
The format gives fans more than an opportunity to win a large sum. It also places an attendee at the center of a live *College GameDay* broadcast, where a single kick can create an unexpected, life-changing moment.
