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Notre Dame leprechaun drills $500K ‘College GameDay’ kick — before student wins $1 million

notre-dame-leprechaun-drills-$500k-‘college-gameday’-kick-—-before-student-wins-$1-million
Notre Dame leprechaun drills $500K ‘College GameDay’ kick — before student wins $1 million

Maybe it’s time to change the statue’s name from Touchdown Jesus to Field Goal Jesus.

Two successful field goals were made in Pat McAfee’s weekly field-goal kicking contest on “College GameDay” on Saturday morning at Notre Dame, including one converted by the school’s leprechaun mascot.

The mascot fell short on his first attempt but drilled his kick for a $500,000 donation to charity, with Fighting Irish legend Joe Montana among those on the ESPN set.

Montana and sponsors Guinness and Coors Light put up the money.

The Notre Dame mascot makes a field goal during ESPN's College GameDay show.

The Notre Dame mascot kicks a field goal during ESPN’s “College GameDay” show at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Notre Dame junior Michael Milano also split the uprights on his second attempt, earning the whopping $1 million grand prize to set off a wild celebration in South Bend, Ind.

Milano, a former high school soccer player from North Carolina, hooked his first attempt.

An ESPN College GameDay Tailgate sign stands in front of The Word of Life Mural, commonly known as Touchdown Jesus, at Notre Dame.

Signage stands near The Word of Life Mural, commonly known as Touchdown Jesus, during ESPN College GameDay in South Bend, Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pat McAfee raises his fist in front of a crowd during ESPN College GameDay.

Pat McAfee raises his fist during ESPN College GameDay at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Prior to his kicks, Milano told McAfee and co-host Kirk Herbstreit he had never kicked an NFL-style football before, to which McAfee jokingly accused him afterward of “lying to my face.”

During the 2026 college football season, four students/contestants have successfully made the 33-yard field goal in McAfee’s kicking challenge.

McAfee played eight seasons with the Colts as a punter and kickoff specialist from 2009 to 2016.

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