Pat McAfee to host alternate “Field Pass” broadcast for Super Bowl 2027

Pat McAfee announced on Oct. 10, 2026 that his “Field Pass” alternate broadcast will be part of ESPN’s coverage of Super Bowl 2027, scheduled for Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

The Field Pass format places McAfee and his crew near the field to deliver live reactions and analysis, a contrast to the standard booth presentation used by the traditional broadcast on ESPN and ABC, which will feature Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.

Joining McAfee for the NFL alternate coverage will be analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky, while ex‑linebacker A.J. Hawk will continue his role on the college version of Field Pass.

McAfee highlighted the development on his show, saying, “We will OFFICIALLY be doing a Field Pass for the Super Bowl this year… We will also be doing select Monday Night Football games as well… This is an absolute honor.” The alternate broadcast will also roll out for selected Monday Night Football matchups beginning later this season.

The Field Pass concept debuted during the 2024‑25 College Football Playoff semifinals and recently delivered a Rose Bowl telecast that averaged 2.4 million viewers, demonstrating strong audience interest in the on‑field commentary style.

Super Bowl 2027 marks ESPN’s first production of the NFL championship game since the network secured rights in 2021, and the league will also offer a separate “ManningCast” with brothers Peyton and Eli Manning.

McAfee, a former Indianapolis Colts punter, already appears regularly on ESPN’s College GameDay and the Monday Night Countdown pre‑game show, expanding his on‑air presence ahead of the championship event.