Bryan Murphy
Kirk Herbstreit has been a mainstay on the NCAA football scene for nearly 30 years now. The former Ohio State quarterback is a regular on ESPN’s “College GameDay” and is known for his work on television, including as the lead analyst for Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” NFL broadcasts.
However, he hasn’t been the only member of the Herbstreit family in the spotlight. This season, Herbstreit’s dog, Ben, stole the show during Saturdays in the early fall. The golden retriever was a frequent visitor to college football stadiums all over the country in 2024.
All the while, Ben was in a battle with cancer. Herbstreit posted a grim update earlier in the week ahead of Week 11 detailing his dog’s health condition, and he delivered devastating news about Ben on Thursday.
Here’s more to know about Ben, his battle with cancer and how he became one of college football’s most beloved pet.
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Herbstreit’s dog, Ben, battled cancer before dying Thursday. In March of this year, Ben was diagnosed with leukemia, which is a disease that causes blood-forming tissues that reduce the body’s ability to fight infection. It’s a rare disease for dogs to contract, and it’s dubbed a “silent killer” due to the difficulty of recognizing the symptoms before the cancer has become advanced in canines, according to Animal Referral and Emergency Network.
According to Herbstreit, Ben had to undergo major surgery in July to remove two cancerous masses, one on his spleen and one on his intestine before undergoing chemotherapy.
Herbstreit sadly announced Tuesday that Ben’s condition was worsening, and he delivered the news fans had been dreading Thursday with the announcement that Ben had died.
This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go. I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on… pic.twitter.com/jDvPTbNv2M
This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go. I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on 1. He was smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive-and welcoming to all. Always a big smile and a soft tail wag. He and I could communicate..he and I understood each other and had each others backs. He was with me more than anyone at home and traveling with me for work. Such an easy going companion. Hard day-but he will live within all of us forever. God please bless his majestic soul and thank you for putting him in my life for the last 10 years-a true blessing. Love you Ben.
Ben was a 10-year-old golden retriever, the oldest of four golden retrievers owned by the Herbstreit family.
“College GameDay” aired a special tribute to Ben during Saturday’s show, which moved Kirk Herbstreit to tears:
Thank you again for all the outpouring of love for our Ben. I can’t tell you how much it means to me and my family.
He wasn’t just my best friend – he was America’s best friend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WtpR2fHjjq
Herbstreit got Ben 10 years ago when he was just a pup, but golden retrievers have been a mainstay with the ESPN analyst throughout his life. He told the Associated Press in 2023 that his family got their first one in 1985 when he was a sophomore in high school.
Ben was one of Herbstreit’s group of four, along with Theo (7), Mitch (4), and Peter (1). They all came from the same breeder in New Jersey.
The family dog’s first appearance alongside the analyst was in 2021 when Ben appeared during a “College GameDay” show between Cincinnati and Tulsa. However, he became a regular travel companion of Herbstreit’s during the 2023 season after his son, Zak Herbstreit, was hospitalized for a heart condition. Ben acted as an emotional support animal for Herbstreit and his family, and that continued into 2024.
Ben was typically seen off his leash, roaming around by Herbstreit’s side. He got the chance to appear at a number of high-profile games, including the 2023 National Championship between Michigan and Washington.
Freshly groomed and ready for the National Championship! @UMichFootball @UW_Football @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/T3eRHd99CV
Ben stopped by the GameDay desk during the show 🐶😆 pic.twitter.com/1SVxhMyuIn
We’re locked in pic.twitter.com/BZMUSajrfh
Ben meets Bevo pic.twitter.com/9rpaqm9VLL
A few more Pregame Ben Highlights pic.twitter.com/qDP268UeUw
Casually walks into the stadium at one of biggest games of the year in Austin, with a “who’s who” on the field and just takes it in. I will never take these moments with him for granted. Special guy. pic.twitter.com/wCQKAuYWNn
Ben making an early morning SportsCenter appearance this morning in Bloomington!!! 😂🐶 pic.twitter.com/KDktTaRdy4
Benny is getting taken care of this morning pic.twitter.com/aSG0VQ9eFe
Yes, Ben was a certified emotional service dog.
Herbstreit said in a 2023 Instagram post that while Ben has been acted as a service dog his entire life, it became official last year.
A post shared by Kirk Herbstreit (@kirkherbstreit)
Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.