ESPN Makes Kirk Herbstreit Decision Amid College Football Playoff

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ESPN Makes Kirk Herbstreit Decision Amid College Football Playoff

Kirk Herbstreit is one of the most respected broadcasters in college football. The ESPN “College GameDay” star has also been the network’s lead game analyst since 2006. The former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback has been in the ESPN and ABC broadcast booth for a College Football Playoff semifinal game and the CFP National Championship Game every season since the CFP began in 2014.

On Thursday, Herbstreit called his 18th Rose Bowl, the most of any individual announcer in college football history. By the fourth quarter of the Indiana Hoosiers’ blowout win, Herbstreit could be heard taking shots at the Alabama Crimson Tide while IU waltzed into the CFP semifinals.

Kirk Herbstreit talks to the media.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The quarterfinal results set up next week’s two CFP semifinal matchups:

  • No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels will take on the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
  • No. 1 Indiana will face the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Both games will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, leaving the network with a decision to make on which game to assign its top crew of Herbstreit and play-by-play man Chris Fowler.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Herbstreit and Fowler have been assigned to Thursday’s Ole Miss-Miami game in Glendale. The No. 2 team of Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy will call Friday’s Indiana-Oregon game in Atlanta.

ESPN has not officially confirmed the assignments, but one detail in Herbstreit’s schedule suggests why this is the preferred arrangment.

The college football aficionado also works as an NFL broadcaster for Amazon Prime Video. Typically, he calls the “Thursday Night Football” game with Al Michaels before jetting off to the “College GameDay” set on the weekend.

Next weekend will be the inverse, as Prime Video will carry an NFL playoff game Saturday or Sunday. ESPN may have assigned Herbstreit to the Thursday CFP semifinal to give him an extra day in between.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit Announcement Made Before College Football Playoff Game

Related: Kirk Herbstreit Takes Shot at Alabama’s College Football Playoff Reputation

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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