What did Pat McAfee say about Mary Kate Cornett? Ole Miss controversy explained as student plans legal action

American sports analyst Pat McAfee's comment about University of Mississippi student Mary Kate Cornett has landed him in trouble, as she has expressed her plan to take legal action against McAfee. Shortly after Mary Kate Cornett started trending on X on February 26, 2025, for allegedly getting involved with her boyfriend's father, McAfee brought up the controversy during his podcast on the same day.

In his podcast, The Pat McAfee Show, which is simultaneously broadcast on ESPN, the sports analyst asked his crew if they had heard about Mary Kate's rumored incident, adding that it had "captivated the internet". Talking about the same, McAfee said without naming Mary Kate Cornett:

“Some Ole Miss frat bro, k? Had a K-D (Kappa Delta) girlfriend. At this exact moment, this is what is being reported by … everybody on the internet: Dad had s*x with son’s girlfriend.”

Podcast guest Adam Schefter looked uncomfortable as McAfee discussed the controversy, and attempted to redirect the conversation asking where is Jaxson Dart— an Ole Miss Rebels quarterback in the situation. While Pat McAfee didn't name Mary Kate Cornett in the conversation, he also made jokes about shoehorning fathers from Ole Miss into the NFL Draft analysis.

“We’re just wondering. His dad … We’re just trying to combine evaluate …,” he said.

---

"I’m so anxious about what’s going to happen for the rest of my life"— Mary Kate Cornett claps back at Pat McAfee

The Ole Miss controversy concerning Mary Kate began with an X post shared by @MAGAgeddon on February 26, 2025, alleging that the University of Mississippi student allegedly slept with her dad's boyfriend, and her partner, Evan, still stayed with her.

The tweet featured a screenshot of a Snapchat message reportedly showcasing Mary Kate stating that she had returned home early after finishing her exams post which she took her boyfriend's younger sister to a basketball game along with Evan's father Erik Solis.

As per the controversy, Mary Kate and Erik Solis allegedly went out for drinks the same evening, resulting in the speculated affair between them. The X post, which amassed 1.5 million views since it was posted (as of this writing), also indicated that Erik Solis assured Mary Kate Cornett about his habit of infidelity, citing that he had cheated on his wife multiple times. Additionally, Erik Solis' wife was allegedly aware of the affair but was considering a separation for other reasons.

In a statement to The Athletic dated April 1, 2025, Mary Kate Cornett expressed her intent to sue Pat McAfee and ESPN.

“I would like people to be held accountable for what they’ve done. You’re ruining my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but attention, but here I am staying up until 5 in the morning, every night, throwing up, not eating because I’m so anxious about what’s going to happen for the rest of my life,” she stated.

The University of Mississippi student has hired Houston-based attorney Monica Uddin for her legal action.

---

During her conversation with The Athletic, Mary Kate mentioned that she can't walk on the university campus without being called out with disgusting and vulgar comments. Additionally, shortly after the rumor went viral, campus police informed her of being a target, resulting in Mary Kate Cornett moving into emergency housing and switching to online courses for the time being.