ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit wants fans to know that he doesn’t really get into politics. That’s what the “College GameDay” star claims, anyway.
Herbstreit, a former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback turned college football analyst, says he’s pretty straight down the middle. He was speaking out in defense of “College GameDay” having U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on the show in Austin, Texas.
“I’ve never seen a guy booed that long and be able to power through that. I think he was booed pretty much the entire time he spoke,” Herbstreit said. “I don’t really follow it. I don’t know anything about his political views. I don’t know what he’s for or against. I care about football, my family, my faith and my country.”
Herbstreit added, “I don’t really get into politics, I’m an independent guy – right down the middle of the fairway. I’m for America, so whoever helps us as a country, I’m for.”
College football fans aren’t really buying it, though. And, if what Herbstreit says is true – that he doesn’t “get into” politics – some are accusing him of being un-American.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Can you say that you “don’t really get into” politics in 2026? That feels like something that you could get away with 10 or 20 years ago, but probably not now.
With social media, and the news media being what it is, you’d have to be pretty ignorant to not pay attention to what is going on in this country politically, on either side.
“Love Kirk, but saying you don’t get into politics in 2026 is just un-American,” one college football fan argued.
“This is not it, Kirk,” another fan added.
Herbstreit faces continued backlash for his comments
Former Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Pearlman was among those bashing Herbstreit for his stance.
“You’re Kirk Herbstreit, you’re college-educated, you have four kids: Jake, Ty, Zach, Chase. So you, you’ve raised kids in this country, and you’re like, let’s take him at face value, ‘I don’t follow politics.’ Like, you don’t follow anything going on in America?” Pearlman said in a video posted to TikTok.
“You know nothing about Ted Cruz? You don’t know anything about Ted Cruz, one of the most famous political figures in America? You don’t know anything about him? You don’t know anything about what’s going on? You don’t know about climate change? You don’t know about corruption in the government? You don’t know about the Kennedy Center? You don’t know about— like, do you not follow anything? You don’t follow anything? Media being banned from the White House, good or bad. Like, it is so inexcusable just as an American. I’m being serious.”
It’s a fair criticism.
If you’re going to have Ted Cruz on your show, you can’t say that you don’t know anything about his politics.
