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Kirk Herbstreit Gave Beautiful Tribute to Beloved Dog Ben on 'College Gameday'

This was touching.
Tim Capurso|
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit walks his dog Ben before the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium on January 8, 2024.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit walks his dog Ben before the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium on January 8, 2024. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN color commentator and College Gameday analyst Kirk Herbstreit's beloved dog Ben sadly passed away after a battle with cancer earlier this week. Herbstreit's golden retriever, who traveled with the announcer as he worked college football games for ESPN and NFL games for Amazon Prime, became a social media star and his exuberance sparked joy among millions of people.

As such, there was an outpouring of support for Herbstreit, as well as countless kind words about the dog that touched so many people. During Saturday's broadcast of College Gameday, ESPN aired a moving tribute that Herbstreit gave to Ben, beautifully explaining how the dog went from being his travel companion to so much more.

Take a couple minutes out of your day and watch Herbstreit's tribute. It's well worth it.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

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