Kirk Herbstreit Provides Update On Dog Ben Before First Weekend Of College Football

One of the biggest stars of the 2023 college football season didn’t make his debut on the field. Many fans started paying more attention to ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit after he introduced the nation to one of his dogs, Ben. The golden retriever followed Herbstreit on the plane, to the hotel, and even to the stadium for much of the year. ESPN cameras were around to capture it all.

The first College GameDay broadcast is going international this year, kicking off the season in Dublin, Ireland. Anyone who owns a dog knows that long plane rides are not the best experience for canines. The long travel gave fans a reason to wonder whether or not Ben would make the trip. Herbstreit addressed Ben’s status for Week 0 when interacting with fans online.

“He’ll be at home with our other 3 Goldens. Hoping he’s ready to go week 1 at A&M!” Herbstreit replied to one fan on X.

Ben burst onto the college football scene a few weeks into the 2023 season. His popularity earned him an expanded role according to one of Herbstreit’s posts from July.

Herbstreit and Ben will embark on a new segment called “Walks with Ben” where the College GameDay co-host interviews college football personalities and figures while strolling with man’s best friend.

“During the season we get a chance to be around so many interesting people in the football world- we thought it would be fun to invite some of them to come hang with Ben and I for a short walk,” Herbstreit posted in July.

Ben made several College GameDay appearances in 2023, so even though he won’t travel overseas for Week 0, Herbstreit says fans should expect to see him throughout the season both on set and on walks.

Gameday heads to College Station for Week 1, previewing the season opener for the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies as they host the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Kickoff is set for Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on ABC.

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