ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is making waves with his candidness after wading into the contentious debate over transgender athletes last week by unequivocally opposing men competing in women’s sports. A prominent figure in college football, Herbstreit expressed his views on X in response to a straightforward question: “Do men belong in women’s sports?” He replied succinctly, “Of course not. Ridiculous question.” His tweet quickly gained traction, garnering over 3 million views.
Of course not. Ridiculous question https://t.co/SpwZ07zewv
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 6, 2024
On Tuesday, Herbstreit took his stance a step further on “Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich” on Outkick. He not only reiterated his previous statement but reinforced it with a message of common sense that many believe is lacking in current debates. Herbstreit’s firm position against men competing in women’s sports sets him apart from the more liberal perspectives at ESPN, highlighting the significance of his outspoken views.
“I’ve been biting my tongue on a lot of topics for three years,” he said. “I happened to see somebody say what he said, and he said ‘Should men be able to play in women’s sports,’ and I just said ‘Ridiculous question, of course not.’ I didn’t dwell on it, I didn’t give a long answer, that was it. There was way more positive [reaction] than negative, I’m sure people were upset, but I think it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
“I don’t have a daughter, I have four sons, but if I had a daughter I’d probably be way more outspoken about the discussion and topic, but I just kind of made it sound like ‘why are you even asking this question?’” he added.
Herbstreit is a leading voice in college football broadcasting, recognized for his sharp analysis and thoughtful commentary. His passion for sports is deeply rooted in his family background; his father, Jim Herbstreit, played as a quarterback and served as a captain for Ohio State before becoming an assistant coach. Kirk followed in his father’s footsteps, playing as a quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1989 to 1993.
“I didn’t give a sh-t. I don’t really give a sh-t, at all. I’m done giving any shi-s, at all, about any of it,” Herbstreit added during his interview. “It’s almost like there are two different sets of rules, and if you have a view that is a little bit more traditional, and you know I’m a Christian guy, it’s like there’s a different set of rules from that viewpoint. It’s hard to turn the cheek time after time after time, so yeah, I didn’t really care and don’t care at all.” He noted further: “Which I think is a good thing to get to that place, compared to ‘Oh gosh, I don’t want to get canceled, don’t want to get people upset,’ I just don’t give a sh-t.”
After graduating from Ohio State, Herbstreit moved into sports broadcasting and quickly established himself as a key figure in the field. He joined ESPN and ABC Sports in 1996, becoming a central figure in college football coverage. Herbstreit is widely recognized as a co-host on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” a pre-game show that travels to various college campuses each week during the football season. His expertise in analyzing complex plays and his comprehensive knowledge of the game have garnered him considerable respect from both colleagues and fans.
In addition to his role on “College GameDay,” Herbstreit serves as a game analyst for ABC’s Saturday night college football broadcasts and has contributed to various ESPN platforms, covering major games and national championships. His exceptional work has earned him several accolades, including Emmy Awards for television sports broadcasting.