Double duty? Kirk Herbstreit would consider calling both college, NFL games in future
By Jake Rill
Published:
Kirk Herbstreit is synonymous with college football. He’s been with ESPN since 1996, and during that time, he’s grown to fame with his appearances on College GameDay each Saturday, previewing the upcoming day’s action from around the country.
Not only that, but Herbstreit serves as an analyst for the ABC primetime game on Saturday nights. It’s an expectation for college football fans to hear Herbstreit’s voice calling the big matchups.
Earlier this season, though, Herbstreit got a different opportunity. He and fellow college football broadcaster Chris Fowler called an NFL season opener between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers for an ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast.
Now, would Herbstreit consider doing more NFL games? Could he do that and college games? The longtime ESPN analyst discussed the possibility during a recent appearance on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast.
“After that experience, I’d say I would love to entertain both. I would love the challenge,” Herbstreit said on the podcast. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever done that, where they do a big college game and then do a game in the NFL. It would have to be a Monday game, obviously. If it were a Sunday game I wouldn’t be able to do college and pro. Ideally, in a perfect world, I would love the challenge of trying to do both. But I’m now much more open to the idea of doing the NFL.
“There’s a willingness and excitement in me after that experience with the Giants and Steelers that I’ve never had — the notion of doing the NFL.”
Herbstreit also shared his passion for college football. And when asked if he’d leave college football broadcasting to do just NFL coverage, he was noncommittal.
“I would think about it,” Herbstreit said. “But I would not say I’d definitely do that for sure. I just wanna see where the college game is when we get on the back end of this COVID and how the game changes, if it does at all, with the powers that be, the realignment, the conferences and where we’re headed as a sport.”
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
