Kirk Herbstreit Announces Dog Ben's Death at Age 10: 'Bless His Majestic Soul' | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

BLOOMINGTON, IN – OCTOBER 26: ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit walks onto the field with his dog Ben prior to a college football game between the Washington Huskies and Indiana Hoosiers on October 26, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN (Photo by James Zwart /Icoon Sportswire via Getty Images)

James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit announced Thursday that his dog, Ben, who both NFL and college football fans have become familiar with during several appearances, died at the age of 10.

“This is really hard to write, but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted you to know,” Herbstreit wrote. “We found out today that the cancer had spread through Ben’s organs and there was nothing more we could do. We had to let him go. I’ve had dogs all my life, but Ben was 1 to 1. He was smart, loving, gentle-patient-curious-and welcoming to all.

“Always a big smile and a gentle wagging tail. He and I could communicate. He and I understood each other and had each other’s backs. He was home with me more than anyone and traveled with me for work. So easy to get into dealings companion. Difficult day but he will live in us all forever. God bless his majestic soul and thank you for putting him in my life these past 10 years – a true blessing.

Kirk Herbstreit @KirkHerbstreit

This is really hard to write, but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today that the cancer had spread through Ben’s organs and there was nothing more we could do: we had to let him go. I’ve had dogs all my life, but Ben was 1 in… pic.twitter.com/jDvPTbNv2M

Herbstreit provides color commentary for Amazon’s Thursday night football alongside play-by-play announcer Al Michaels, and the broadcasts often chronicle his travels around the country with Ben.

Sometimes Ben even appeared in the announce booth.

While Herbstreit calls NFL games on Thursday, he is still more closely associated with the college game due to his years working at ESPN as a color commentator and one of the prominent personalities on College GameDay.

As ESPN’s Amanda Brooks highlighted, Ben was a cornerstone of the recent development College GameDay shows on different campuses:

Some college football programs that Ben hosted also reacted to Thursday’s news:

Herbstreit revealed in September that Ben was diagnosed with leukemia in March and underwent surgery in July to remove cancerous growths on his spleen and intestine. While he said it has been a “challenging offseason for Ben,” he also highlighted the “incredible recovery.”

Ben recovered enough to travel with Herbstreit to several games this season.

However, the broadcaster has one update It was said on Monday that Ben underwent a second chemotherapy injection in October and it “got progressively worse” as he lost the use of his back legs and could “barely walk”.

Although Ben will no longer appear on football pitches and in TV booths, he will certainly be fondly remembered by fans who have become familiar with his story in recent years.