Pat McAfee was a guest in Peyton Manning's suite at Neyland Stadium to watch Tennessee football play Texas on Sept. 26.
McAfee, a one-time teammate of Peyton with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and host of ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and a regular on ESPN's "College GameDay," said he was joined in the suite with the rest of the Manning family.
I got a chance to hang out with the entire Manning family on Saturday..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 28, 2026
We had a blast in that suite #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7UpEVzCBCp
"I was very lucky to be in that building. You know, airspace was shut down, so we couldn't leave. We couldn't get out of there. ... But I also got to mee the entire Manning family this weekend," McAfee said on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Sept. 28. "To be in that suite was sweet.
It was actually like watching history happen with a football family who has given so much."
McAfee said it seemed like Peyton had a hard time juggling his love for nephew Arch, the starting quarterback for the Longhorns, and the school he became a legend at, as the Vols and Longhorns went back and forth in a close game.
"It was a blast watching Peyton, who's obviously so invested in the Tennessee Vols and everything that he's done for the Volunteers. And then there's grandpa Archie coming in and supporting (Arch) and then (Cooper) in there and young Marshall (Peyton's son) and Olivia (Archie's wife)," McAfee said. "Just watching that family celebrate Arch was cool because I think even Peyton was conflicted, like 'I love my nephew, but I love the Tennessee Volunteers.' "
Texas' 20-17 win over UT marked Arch's first time visiting Neyland Stadium, where Peyton was a star 30 years ago. McAfee said being in the presence of a football dynasty made him feel like he was watching something significant unfold as he took in the game with the Manning's.
"You could tell," he said. "There was history that was taking place."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pat McAfee on being in Peyton Manning's suite for Tennessee football vs Texas
