Kirk Herbstreit posted a thank-you on social media to fans who showed up to Saturday’s College GameDay taping in Baton Rouge with signs honoring the life of Ben, his beloved golden retriever.

“Thank you to all the fans who came out today in Baton Rouge with signs in honor of Ben!” Herbstreit wrote on X. “It’s so cool to see how many people Ben touched in his time on the road!”

Ben was a loyal companion to Herbstreit as the two crisscrossed the country for Herbstreit’s TV appearances on Thursday Night Football, College GameDay, and ESPN’s college game of the week on Saturdays. College and professional media departments even created press passes for Ben, which Herbstreit shared on X from time to time.

With Ben’s health taking a turn for the worse due to leukemia — leading to his eventual death on Thursday — it’s been a tough last few days for Herbstreit. But support has poured in from all corners of the sports landscape, and that’s continued on Saturday ahead of LSU-Alabama at Death Valley. College GameDay even produced a tribute reflecting on the unique bond Herbstreit and Ben enjoyed.

Ben was truly a good boy, and he’ll be missed by all.

Thank you to all the fans who came out today in Baton Rouge with signs in honor of Ben! It’s so cool to see how many people Ben touched in his time on the road! pic.twitter.com/660ZEVTh5v

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 9, 2024

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.