Announcer and analyst Kirk Herbstreit is a media free agent after the 2026-2027 season as his deals with ESPN and Amazon expire.
Herbstreit has one of the biggest workloads in sports media, working for two major companies and covering both college and NFL football.
In the middle of the week, or sometimes towards the end, Herbstreit serves as the color commentator for Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football, partnering alongside legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels.
Then, for ESPN, he appears on “College Gameday” on Saturday and calls the primetime college football matchup alongside lead college play-by-play man Reece Davis.
With College Football Playoff games and other weird games like Amazon’s Black Friday game or special bowl games, Herbstreit regularly alternates between college football and the professional ranks while traveling all over the nation.
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His new free agency will allow the media figure to potentially cut one of the two jobs for a more comfortable life that involves less stress and travel.
Both roles are among the more sought-after in the nation, and there is a natural connection between the college ranks and the NFL, considering it is the football developmental pipeline.
Given the linkage, it could be feasible that he continues, though he had almost dropped his College Gameday role before the fiery Pat McAfee joined the panel.
“I had to look myself in the mirror and be like, can I do all three (jobs)?” Herbstreit told The Athletic. “Pat coming on the show, it’s been a game-changer for me and for the show. He brings a certain level of intensity and energy. Him and I have a great relationship.”
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With a new pep in his step, Herbstreit has expressed interest in re-signing with both ESPN and Amazon to keep his current positions.
“I’m loving the NFL. I would never want to leave that job on Thursday, and I love ‘GameDay,'” Herbstreit added.
“I can’t imagine not sitting in that seat. It’s a dream to have all three of these. I hope to be able to sign an extension at some point with both Amazon and ESPN.”
According to a report from Front Office Sports, Herbstreit can travel up to 4,000 miles over the course of a week. It is hard to know how long he can keep that schedule up, though both companies seem willing to share him if it means keeping him on the broadcast.
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