Sean Carney, CEO of 40 Days For Life, on the religious ban on "College GameDay": "No one is in favor of this"

Shawn Carney condemned ESPN's ban on a religious sign at "College GameDay" in Alabama, calling it shameful that American companies are targeting Christians in the SEC.

Shawn Carney comments on banning 'College Game Day' religious symbol

In a recent interview with OutKick, Sean Carney, CEO of 40 Days for Life, points out the ban on religious signs at College GameDay in Alabama.

For years, one of ESPN's most popular original programs has been "College GameDay."

The show, which features some of college football's most prominent personalities traveling to various universities across the country, has been a fan favorite for more than three decades.

One of the best parts of GameDay is that students and fans gather in a small area on campus to express themselves and cheer on their team, and one of the ways they've done that since the show started was by bringing in handmade signs.

They've featured everything from clever jokes to insults to opposing chants, but last weekend in Tuscaloosa, GameDay executives took a stand and introduced a "no religious symbols" ban before the Crimson Tide's Big Ten matchup with Georgia.

This caught almost everyone by surprise, including Sean Carney, CEO of 40 Days For Life.

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Carney's company focuses on holding peaceful vigils outside abortion centers, offering pregnant women alternatives as well as one last chance to "choose life."

Shawn Carney is a father of eight and president and CEO of 40 Days for Life, a pro-life organization. (from 40 days to live)

To say that faith is near and dear to his heart is an understatement, and he was confused when he first heard about the ban on religious paintings.

"We've done it and it doesn't work," Carney said when discussing the ban. "It's called 2020 and all the companies that decided to go in that direction just backfired. It's so stupid."

Carney reveals that he's an avid "College GameDay" fan and a die-hard Texas A&M Aggie, and ESPN is trying to make sense of what it calls its biggest fan demographic.

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"Football is religion in the South," he explains. "You look at the SEC and you can put in the Big 10, it's religious people who follow college football. It's a huge market that is college football."

Coaches and players alike are very faith-based, crediting Christianity to help guide them through tough times.

Nick Saban is on stage at ESPN's College Game Day before the University of Oklahoma-Michigan college football game in Norman, Okla., on Sept. 6, 2025. (IMAGN)

It's a clear case that Disney and ESPN don't know who they're pandering to with these decisions.

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The ban at the University of Alabama, of all places, was most confusing to Carney.

"It's shocking that (Alabama) is the place," he admits. "It's unapologetically biblical heartstrings, and Nick Saban certainly was about his faith and his faith in God when he was a coach."

"Bear Bryant is definitely turning in his grave."

Make no mistake about it, the rule may have said "no religious symbols," but as Carney points out, the only religion ESPN — or any major corporation — cares about is Christianity.

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They're not looking for Muslims, they're not looking for Hindus... It's a stupid company that America does what it often does all the time, which is to decide that they only want to ban one group, and it's almost always Christians.

However, the amount of backlash Disney and ESPN have received following their decision is a sign that things are moving in the right direction.

"Nobody's for it. Nobody likes it," Carney said. "Do you think atheists who watch 'GameDay' are offended that somebody has a sign that says John 3:16?

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