Kirk Herbstreit was not surprised at the start of the summer that major changes were coming to college sports. And then when Oregon and Washington announced a move to the B1G, coupled with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah following Colorado to the Big 12, the ESPN analyst called it a sad day.

Herbstreit spoke with Sean Salisbury on Sportstalk 790 Houston.

“I’m a traditionalist, I’m not ashamed to say that,” Herbstreit said. “It seems like some people don’t like to hear that, but I am. I’m a proud traditionalist, I love rivalries, I love everything college football stands for. I’m a weirdo. I like the marching bands, I like the student section. I love it all. I like the corny things of how a team walks down a certain way into the stadium. I eat it all up, that’s why it never gets old doing what I do in the college game.”

Herbstreit added that he can question things, but also be open-minded, but it doesn’t change his initial emotion about the changing landscape in college football, and how traditions from his childhood are gone. Yet he still tries to accept change.

“So to see all this shake up, and realignment, which you knew was inevitable, once Texas and OU decided to go to the SEC, you knew more was coming,” Herbstreit said. “And … if you are a traditionalist, it’s a sad day, it’s just another confirmation that the college game that we all grew up with is history. It’s gone. The Rose Bowl’s gone. It’s a very, very challenging time for us and I’ve learned over these last few years to not be a guy who’s going to put my head in the sand and cross my arms and say, ‘What the hell’s going on with this sport?’

Herbstreit said he tries to be positive and understand realignment, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness. He’s willing to give all of it a chance.

He noted that the new matchups will be unbelievable in the regular season.