Kirk Herbstreit’s Powerful Message to Son Chase After Facing Serious Backlash for Breaking Sanctity With Alumni OSU

Sports fandom is sacrilegious. Once you don the colors of a team, you’re essentially locked in for life. Switching teams is invariably considered taboo. Let alone switching allegiances for the sworn enemy. A development regarding the Herbstreit clan has attack this very core value of sports fandom and fractured a relationship built over three generations and seven decades. 

Whatever your opinion of him, Kirk Herbstreit is etched in the fabric of College Football. The former Ohio State Buckeye and GameDay host has been directly involved in the sport since the ‘80s. The game has given Herbstreit a lot, and he has reciprocated it with being a great ambassador for it. Or at least until now. See, while he’s got to keep his neutral hat on when he’s calling games, the blood coursing through his veins is scarlet. Kirk’s father, Jim Herbstreit, captained the Buckeyes in 1960. Kirk himself had this privilege as a player in 1982. His son, Zak Herbstreit, was on the roster that just won the National Championship. So much tradition, now blemished. Chase Herbstreit, Kirk’s younger son, has chosen to traverse his career through Ann Arbor wearing Michigan maize and blue. 

Calling this a cardinal sin wouldn’t be hyperbolic. The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry needs no introduction, nor does the animosity between the two fanbases. Naturally, Kirk Herbstreit caught a ton of flak from the Buckeyes faithful for allowing this to transpire. He knew the repercussions but still went through with it. It’s almost equally commendable as it is outlandish. In the wake of intense scrutiny now that this commitment of Chase Herbstreit has been formalized, Kirk Herbstreit reiterated his stance about blocking out the noise. He’s not shying away from the fact he’s now in bed with the mortal enemy. He’s doubling down instead.

Kirk Herbstreit took to his IG to repost a picture of Chase as the latter walks out of the tunnel at the Big House. The caption of the original post is pretty resounding itself, reading “Let me be me,” Sharing the post himself, Kirk wrote, “Proud of ya Chase…Time to go to work!!…Go get it!” It’s only right for a father to support his son through his decisions, especially at this juncture of his life. But did Kirk Herbstreit fly too close to the Sun here? The optics of this are particularly bad after his comments about the Ohio State fanbase last season.

Herbstreit made a rod for his own back after calling sections of the fanbase a “lunatic fringe”. This was amidst calls for the firing of HC Ryan Day. In hindsight, those calls look awfully bad now that he’s delivered them the National title. However, at the time, this was a prevalent topic of discourse. Herbstreit got lambasted online for his comments. Ironically, this happened in the aftermath of The Game against Michigan. Kirk Herbstreit has a long way to go before he can revere himself to the fans now that this move of Chase has gone down. He still insists his loyalties lie with Ohio State, but it’s a more difficult sell now.

Chase and Kirk Herbstreit’s memories from over a decade ago now left blemished

About a fortnight ago, before Zak Herbstreit became a champion, Kirk leveraged a cherished memory from when this member of the Buckeyes roster was 12. Kirk Herbstreit reminisced about a near-identical juncture one decade ago. Ohio State was playing Oregon in the Championship game in 2014. Zak, now involved from within, was cheering on his dad’s alma mater from the stands. During his presser ahead of the Natty, Centerville, OH native Kirk Herbstreit said, “[Zak] sent me a video…He was in the stands with his brothers in Dallas when Ohio State played Oregon…He had it focused on the clock. ‘10, 9, 8, 7’ [Zak counted down]. Confetti comes down. He’s like, ‘We just won the National Championship!’. Then he turned it to himself and his brothers and they’re all going crazy.”  One of these brothers was indeed Chase Herbstreit. Life comes at you quickly.

“Just to kind of have those memories, and then to have him here, full circle, on a team that’s playing in the National Championship. We’re thrilled [as a family],” proceeded Kirk Herbstreit. Fascinatingly, Kirk had acknowledged that he and the family will always continue supporting the Buckeyes.“We’re fired up. I mean, anytime Ohio State makes a run, it’s a thrill for us, for my family.” These loyalties will be tested big-time if and when Chase Herbstreit is standing across enemy lines.

Kirk Herbstreit has burned a lot of bridges in the last few months, with OSU fans and beyond. Chase’s Michigan ties are just the epitome of it. Being able to keep sentiments and pride aside when it came to what was best for his son is a testament of his character. However, it is still sinful and cannot be 100% absolved in the name of family. Herbstreit will just have to live with it. He’ll hope Chase can at least make the sacrifice worth it.