The College GameDay is known for its hosts Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, and Pat McAfee. But there is someone else who made the show famous. Do you know who it is? That’s none other than Herbsteit’s four-legged furry friend, Ben. Sadly, the college football world had to pay goodbye to the 10-year-old golden retriever who passed away on November 7. Well, in such a short span Ben was lucky to have a huge fan base. And guess who has been his biggest fan? Had to be GOAT Nick Saban’s daughter Kristen. But looks like the news of Ben’s demise has reached the President, Joe Biden.

The last time Ben was spotted in a game was on October 26, when Herbstreit’s furry friend flew to Bloomington for Indiana’s game against Washington. It was after that his health started to deteriorate as he finally lost the battle to cancer. As the analyst stated, he had dogs all his life but “Ben was 1 on 1.” His cute face was enough to ward away all worries like he did to Kristen when Saban’s daughter found solace after Alabama landed the Bulldogs a costly 41-34 defeat. So no doubt that Ben’s demise felt like a personal loss for Kristen who could not stop herself from making a comment now that the POTUS shared a heartfelt tribute. Saban’s daughter wrote, “America’s favorite golden 💛.”

Undoubtedly! After all, President Joe Biden too expressed his condolence. Later, Herbstreit shared the letter on his IG with the caption of how his dog has won the hearts of political tycoons as well, “Politics aside-REALLY honored to receive this personal note from @potus sharing his appreciation and compassion for the loss of our beloved Ben. I can only hope that Ben knows how many people he touched.” The letter dated November 22 spoke about the beloved doggo’s effect on the community.

A part of it read, “Ben brought so much comfort and unconditional love to millions of Americans across our Nation. In your most joyful moments and most grief-stricken days, he was there, sensitive to every unspoken feeling and emotion.” Meanwhile, now that Kristen is often the first one to like and comment on any post related to Ben, it shows how it has left her with a void.

A heartbreaking November for Kristen Saban  

Things are even tougher for Saban’s daughter. Just when Kristen thought that things could not go any worse after Ben passed away on November 7, within a span of two weeks, on November 24, Sunday she got hit with another personal loss. She lost her pet dog Gunnies. Her IG post made on the same day is enough to melt your heart and leave you in tears.

The post had a series of pictures and videos captured over these years on how Gunnies has been Kristen’s best friend. Not only hers, the pupper even had been her son James’ companion too. The post read,  “I had to say goodbye to my first baby yesterday after 14 years of the most magical companionship. If you knew Gunner, you loved him as much as I did.’” She ended the note with, “I couldn’t have asked for a better pup. I’ll miss you forever, Gunnies.” 

While Kristen Saban is yet to find a replacement for Gunnies, Kirk Herbstreit has welcomed a new puppy to his family. A younger golden retriever named Peter. The new member has already picked up the duties and had accompanied his master to the Philadelphia Eagles-Washington Commanders matchup. But fans will always hold a special place for Ben.