Kirk Herbstreit Reveals Heartbreaking Update On His Dog Ben

If you're a college football fan, you've likely spotted Kirk Herbstreit's dog, Ben, either on the sidelines or on the set of ESPN's "College GameDay." Ben has become a celebrity in his own right, as fans often seek him out to give him a few pets.

Ben was noticeably absent last weekend. However, this weekend, ahead of the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns, Herbstreit and Ben attended an event at "Raising Cane's." During the event, Herbstreit spoke with reporters and revealed that Ben has been battling three different types of cancer. He mentioned that Ben's health numbers were high last week, which was why he was absent.

Herbstreit also noted that the diagnosis was "very rare," and at one point, doctors were uncertain how much longer Ben had to live.

"I guess it's very rare, according to the vet that we're seeing," Herbstreit said. "It started with leukemia. They were concerned. At that point, this was back in March; they didn't know how long that he had... Most recently, his numbers were elevated, and that's why he didn't come with me last week. Now they're injecting the chemo. He's taking three different chemos."

Herbstreit noted that Ben's numbers significantly improved due to three chemotherapy treatments over the past week, allowing him to travel with Herbstreit for various game assignments. Ultimately, Herbstreit believes witnessing Ben's journey has made him not take any day for granted. Each day he wakes up to see Ben's tail wagging is a day worth celebrating.

"We'll see how he responds to this," Herbstreit said. "He's a family member, so when you have somebody, whether it's a person or it's a dog in this case, going through something, you are just trying to keep him happy. You don't take any day for granted. Everyday I wake up, I see his tail wagging, it's a great day to celebrate."

Herbstreit concluded that attending the games likely means just as much to Ben as it does to him. He believes that Ben truly "loves being in the mix," and it appears that college football fans also appreciate having Ben involved.

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