# A fan kicked a field goal for $1.2 million

> A College GameDay fan named Connor missed his first try, got a second chance, and walked off with a seven-figure payday he immediately cut in half.
- Title: A fan kicked a field goal for $1.2 million · CFB-HQ On SI
- Summary: A College GameDay fan named Connor missed his first try, got a second chance, and walked off with a seven-figure payday he immediately cut in half. GameDay's…
- Keywords: college football, college gameday, charity, viral moments, texas, sports, fan, kicked, field, goal, million, CFB-HQ On SI
- Source: CFB-HQ On SI — https://si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/news/watch-college-gameday-fans-go-berserk-after-kicker-nails-1-2-million-kick
- Published: 2026-09-12T16:08:11+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: college football, college gameday, charity, viral moments, texas, sports
## A seven-figure leg in Austin
College GameDay set up in Austin for No. 4 Texas against No. 1 Ohio State. The biggest money of the morning had nothing to do with either team.
## The first kick sailed wide
Connor's opening attempt was playing for $1 million. It had the distance, but it drifted right of the upright.
## He asked for another shot
Connor turned to the GameDay desk and asked for a second chance. They gave him one.
## Herbstreit and McConaughey raised it
Kirk Herbstreit threw in another $100,000. Guest picker Matthew McConaughey matched him. The second attempt was suddenly worth $1.2 million.

> Kirk Herbstreit was out $100,000 after a big CGD kick.
## The left foot delivered
The second kick had leg to spare and split the uprights. The Austin crowd came unglued.

> Connor has an ABSOLUTE leg, might be the best kick we've had!
## Half of it goes to kids in Uganda
Connor kept $600,000 and sent $600,000 to Building Tomorrow, a nonprofit teaching literacy and math to children in rural East Africa.

> $600K to him and $600K to charity
## An Indianapolis coincidence
Building Tomorrow is headquartered in Indianapolis, the same city as the NCAA.
## The old record was half this
Last season Vanderbilt student Tyler Hwang took home $500,000 and sent $250,000 to charity. Connor's kick nearly doubled the best payout on record.
## Schools are training their kickers now
As the pot grew, programs started preparing for it. Vanderbilt players held informal practice sessions with student kickers, and Hwang cashed in.
## Key takeaway

GameDay's fan kick has quietly turned into the biggest single payout in college football Saturday mornings, and the winners keep giving half of it away.