Home › People › Kirk Herbstreit

Kirk Herbstreit

Role(s) as quoted

ESPN College GameDay analyst; former Ohio State QB
ESPN analyst; former Ohio State quarterback

Person type

Players

Entries

3 (Aug 22, 2022 to Jul 2026)

Topics

Transfer portal (2) Governance & legislation (2) Structure: super league & divisions (2) Pay, NIL & revenue sharing (1) Employment & unions (1)

In the Ideas index

1. A commissioner or single central authority for college football (Supporters)
2. Power 4 breakaway, super league or separate top division (Supporters or predictors)
3. Players as employees, unions or collective bargaining (Supporters or sympathizers)
10. Fixed title-game site at the Rose Bowl (Supporters)

All entries (oldest first)

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN analyst; former Ohio State quarterback · Aug 22, 2022 · NIL/portal (2021-23) · permalink

“But to take a kid out of high school and pay him eight million billion dollars to go to your school, I think that's insane.”

At the Little Rock Touchdown Club, Herbstreit said he had no problem with NIL for players with established brands, but wanted to end big booster payments to high school recruits and objected to power programs poaching starters from smaller schools.

Source: Whole Hog Sports (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette): Analyst Kirk Herbstreit: Plenty left to fix in college football

Pay, NIL & revenue sharing Transfer portal

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN analyst; former Ohio State quarterback · Feb 5, 2026 · 12-team/revenue-sharing (2024-26) · permalink

“I think the Power 4 needs to break away, create their own world, create their own governing body.”

At Super Bowl LX radio row, Herbstreit laid out three fixes. He called for a national commissioner, for the Power 4 to break away with its own governing body (leaving the Group of 6 its own playoff), and for players to unionize so they can collectively bargain rules that hold up against antitrust suits.

Source: Front Office Sports: Kirk Herbstreit Has 3 Solutions to College Football's 'Big Problem'

Governance & legislation Structure: super league & divisions Employment & unions Transfer portal

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN College GameDay analyst; former Ohio State QB · Jul 2026 · 12-team/revenue-sharing (2024-26) · permalink

“If the SEC breaks away, my guess would be Tony Petitti and the Big Ten would also break away, and maybe the ACC and Big 12”

Called SEC breakaway talk a leverage play; if the SEC broke away, the Big Ten and perhaps the ACC and Big 12 would follow, especially if federal help fails.

Source: On3 (citing The Pat McAfee Show): Tony Petitti addresses SEC 'breakaway' talks, clarifies Big Ten's stance

Structure: super league & divisions Governance & legislation