Kirk Herbstreit set for controversial return to Tallahassee as FSU football hosts Miami

Herbstreit will be back in town for the first time since before the College Football Playoff snub in 2023.

Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To put it lightly, let's just say that the relationship between the Florida State fan base and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has soured over the past few years.

The most recent uprising occurred at the end of the 2023 season, when FSU was historically snubbed from the College Football Playoffs, and some pointed the finger at Herbstreit due to his rallying cries and outspoken banter about who should be included and who shouldn't.

GameDay Stays Away, But Herbstreit Returns for Rivalry Clash

Kirk Herbstreit is on stage at ESPN College GameDay ahead of the University of Oklahoma-Michigan College football game on Sep 6, 2025 in Norman. | Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida State's loss to Virginia last weekend slated the Alabama and undefeated Vanderbilt matchup to take the stage for ESPN's College GameDay. Strangely enough, both heralded former host, Lee Corso, and Herbstreit will be in Tallahassee, Florida, for the classic rivalry, with Herbstreit as the analyst.

Broadcast crew for #FSU vs. Miami:

Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler
Analyst: Kirk Herbstreit
Sideline: Holly Rowe

Herbstreit makes his return to Tallahassee after all. #Noles

— Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG) September 29, 2025

Play-by-play caller Chris Fowler and sideline reporter Holly Rowe will join Herbstreit.

Florida State Plans to Honor Corso at the Game

Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles mascot Chief Osceola and Renegade take the field before the game in the 2023 Orange Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

READ MORE: Two Florida State football starters battling injuries ahead of Miami showdown

For nearly four decades, one of Florida State’s most cherished figures has been former College GameDay analyst Lee Corso, who announced his retirement earlier this year. An FSU alumnus, Corso suited up in Tallahassee from 1953 to 1958.

While College GameDay has bypassed Tallahassee multiple times since 2014, Corso will be back with Herbstreit, though Seminole fans are far more likely to embrace Corso than the latter.

Herbstreit’s return adds another wrinkle to a rivalry that already needs no extra fuel. For Florida State fans, the sight of him in the booth will serve as a reminder of a bitter playoff snub that still stings nearly two years later.

For Miami, it is simply another chance to spoil the Seminoles’ momentum on their home turf. Regardless, the national spotlight will be fixed on Doak Campbell Stadium, where the noise level and intensity should match any venue in the country on Saturday night.

Even without College GameDay setting up shop in Tallahassee, the broadcast booth tells its own story. Corso represents decades of Seminole pride and nostalgia, while Herbstreit represents the outsider’s view that FSU fans have often felt works against them.

Whether viewers tune in for the analysis, the history, or the drama, the rivalry between Florida State and Miami is more than enough to carry the show.

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READ MORE: FSU football’s Tony White addresses UCLA’s head coaching rumors

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