Rapper MGK makes it to College football with ‘Don’t Wait Run Fast’ announced as ESPN’s 2025-26 anthem

Rapper MGK's new song, ‘Don’t Wait Run Fast’, has been chosen as the official anthem for ESPN’s College Football coverage for the 2025-2026 season

Published on: Jul 31, 2025, 23:58:36 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Rapper MGK, formerly Machine Gun Kelly, is set to make his College Football debut. The 35-year-old's new song, ‘Don’t Wait Run Fast’, has been chosen as the official anthem for ESPN’s College Football coverage for the 2025-2026 season. The musician broke the news during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. ESPN shared details with Billboard.

US rapper Machine Gun Kelly performs onstage during the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California on June 21, 2025. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (AFP)

The song is set to feature on his upcoming album Lost Americana, slated for release on August 8. This marks the 12th season ESPN has partnered with an artist for its college football soundtrack, following last year’s collaboration with Jelly Roll’s ‘Get By’ and past contributions from acts like Post Malone and Fall Out Boy.

Watch teaser here

The song’s selection aligns with ESPN’s tradition of using music to ignite the season’s excitement, with Curtis Friends, ESPN VP of marketing, touting it as the ‘first spark’ for fans.

“Music and college football have been intertwined for years, and our ESPN College Football anthem ushers in that first spark of the season. This 12th iteration, MGK brings a passionate, high-voltage sound that mirrors the raw emotion and untamed spirit of college football," Friends said in a statement.

This is not the first time MGK has featured on the college football scene. The 35-year-old performed on West Virginia University’s campus last season. He sang a mashup of ‘Lonely Road/ Take Me Home, Country Road’.

College football coverage kicks off on August 23 this season. All games will be covered on all of ESPN’s platforms and ABC.

Excited about the collaboration, one fan tweeted: “don’t wait run fast sounds so good can next week come faster.”

“the don’t wait run fast teaser OH !!!!!” another one added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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