Anytime Kirk Herbstreit says something that can even slightly be perceived as a jab at a college football fanbase, he immediately finds himself under the microscope.
Florida State fans’ longstanding grievances with the “Mayor of College Football” are well-documented, and Herbstreit is no stranger to criticism.
But, in this instance, he has a legitimate gripe over how his comments were aggregated — and how a clickbait headline seemingly twisted his words.
Oddly enough, he was also a bit apologetic about it.
A Tennessee podcast (Vols Big Orange Podcast) shared an article to X with a headline that didn’t match Herbstreit’s comments on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast. From A to Z Sports, the headline read: “ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit expresses major doubt that Tennessee Vols fans will travel en masse to Columbus for Ohio State game.”
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit expresses major doubt that Tennessee Vols fans will travel en masse to Columbus for Ohio State game https://t.co/tJl3OtvQEe
— Vols Big Orange Podcast (@BigOrangePod) December 18, 2024
The problem? That’s not exactly what Herbstreit said.
During their conversation, Pardon My Take co-host Eric Sollenberger (PFT Commenter) stirred the pot by bringing up Tennessee fans. Which came as no surprise considering he co-hosts another Barstool Podcast, Macrodosing with former Volunteers running back Arian Foster and a die-hard Tennessee fan, Conner Knapp (Big Tennessee aka Big T).
“I do love the drama behind the scenes of the Tennessee fans being like, ‘Yeah, that stadium’s going to be 30 percent orange, buddy,'” PFT Commenter quipped.
“Can you imagine? Now, they get 3,500 [tickets]. What’s Ohio Stadium these days? Over 100,000,” Herbstreit said. “You get basically three percent of the stadium is going to be in orange. You believe them? They may be getting 30,000 people in there? No way.”
Somehow, those comments morphed into Herbstreit doubting Tennessee fans’ ability to travel en masse to Columbus.
In reality, Herbstreit was questioning if Ohio State fans would allow for that to happen.
While Herbstreit doesn’t always respond to every bit of criticism thrown his way — and there’s plenty of it — this time, he obviously felt compelled to set the record straight.
And he was surprisingly apologetic about it.
“I don’t think that at all,” the College GameDay star wrote. “I’d never doubt Vols fans traveling for their team ANYWHERE in the country. It’s more tough to imagine Ohio State fans giving them the opportunity to buy their tickets. That’s the tough thing to imagine.
“If I misrepresented that I apologize — never questioning Tennessee fans traveling but more about, will they have access to get thousands of fans in there. Hearing they could have as many as 20,000-30,000 which would be WILD to see at the Shoe! Be fascinating to see Saturday — can’t wait!”
I don’t think that at all. I’d never doubt Vols fans traveling for their team ANYWHERE in the country. It’s more tough to imagine Ohio State fans giving them the opportunity to buy their tickets. That’s the tough thing to imagine. If I misrepresented that I apologize-never… https://t.co/FmeLv00SRD
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 19, 2024
Perhaps antagonizing fanbases for a second straight postseason is seemingly something Herbstreit is trying to avoid like the plague.
And after the vitriol he received last year, who could blame him?
[Pardon My Take]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.