Well, college football can no longer run away! It’s high time they realize they need to buckle up. That’s when ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit did the honors. After all, he has been the face of the college football analysts for years now. He even took up an NFL analyst gig, but his heart still ached for college football. So, you can now be sure how Herbstreit knows college football in and out. So far, NIL happened to be an important part, latching onto young athletes. However, Quinn Ewers turning down an $8 million NIL offer might have turned Herbstreit’s head, like many others.   

Ewers has had enough this season with the Texas Longhorns. After all, he was the main reason behind Steve Sarkisian’s QB dilemma. So, fans expected him to transfer to other teams seeking an opportunity to unleash his best potential. But the quarterback announced he would forgo his one remaining year in college football.

However, nobody expected him to pass up big bucks to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Reportedly, Ewers turned down an $8 million NIL offer to transfer to another school. Now that’s what you call a big change. On the Todd McShay podcast, Herbstreit addressed the elephant in the room. 

To fight these changing times, the conferences will have to come together. After all, we are not living in the 1980s when, as Herbstreit stated, “It used to be a regional sport…only thing that you even knew about was the Rose Bowl.”

All people cared about was Ohio State Buckeyes defeating Michigan. On that note, Herbstreit shared, “That’s all changed now…the rules of engagement have changed…Pac 12 now they’ve gone into the Big 10 and now they’re in with the SEC and Miami and everybody is now together in the postseason. Well, now, it’s a national sport and I still feel like we’re looking at it through these different silos.”

As far as the changes are concerned, Herbstreit believes that college football needs to get rid of the collectives as well. “The collectives getting involved. I think that’s not great for the sport, the fact that you’re gonna pay a guy $10 million to come play for your school and it’s pay for play.”

The recruitment plan should focus solely on getting talent and not be influenced by tempting policies. But what makes Herbstreit spend his time charting out the path for college football? 

How the Kirk Herbstreit legacy lives on 

The ESPN analyst was the first player to commit to the Buckeyes in 1988. He is now the father of four beautiful sons. Jake Herbstreit, Tye Herbstreit, Zak Herbstreit and Chase Herbstreit. All four of them have either played college football or are still playing. Both Jake and Tye had been part of the Clemson University football team where the former was the safety and the latter a walk-on. Herbstreit’s other son Zak is a college football tight end and plays for Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes.

But before his break in college football, he had been quite a name back in high school. Herbstreit’s son attended the Montgomery Bell Academy, where he racked up four career touchdown receptions. This earned him the first-team all-region honors as a senior in 2021. However, because of heart-related conditions, he has yet to play a game in his four-year collegiate career. 

Right now Kirk Herbstreit’s only son carrying forward the Herbstreit legacy is Chase. He is the Class of 2025 quarterback prospect. However, he refused to follow in his father’s and brother’s footsteps. Rather, he sealed the deal with Ohio State’s arch-rival, Michigan Wolverines.

Now you see why the ESPN analyst is ringing the alarm bells for a college football makeover.