Thursday, 16 April 2026

Kirk Herbstreit

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Football
Statistics & Accolades: Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Pat Summerall Award
5x Sports Emmy Award Winner
It can be argued that the current face of college football broadcasting, Kirk Herbstreit, joined ESPN in 1996 and has showcased his skills in a dual role as a lead studio analyst and game color commentator for ABC and ESPN. Herbstreit has called every National Championship Game since 2014 and, as of this writing, 16 Rose Bowls.

Herbstreit has also lent his skills to NFL telecasts and NFL draft coverage, and his relationship with Lee Corso on College GameDay, which we saw for decades (and with his dogs), is enough to make him a Hall of Fame inductee for many of us.

We are proud to nominate Kirk Herbstreit for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.