Kirk Herbstreit is one of the most recognizable names in college football. A five-time Sports Emmy Award winner, he has been ESPN’s lead analyst for College GameDay since 1996 and ABC/ESPN’s top color commentator since 2006.
Now in his 30th year with ESPN, Herbstreit has covered every College Football Playoff Semifinal and National Championship since the event’s launch in 2014, working alongside Chris Fowler. With ESPN’s recent $7.8 billion contract extension for playoff rights and Herbstreit’s appearances on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football for the NFL, many wonder how this impacts Herbstreit’s net worth.
What Is Kirk Herbstreit’s Net Worth?
Herbstreit’s estimated net worth is around $14 million to $20 million, with an annual salary of $4 million from ESPN, and a reported $10 million per year deal with Amazon. He seamlessly balances both college and NFL duties, calling 33 games and appearing on 16 episodes of College GameDay, covering 36 cities over a span of four months during the 2023 season.
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His 2022 contract extension with ESPN ensured he’ll remain a key part of College GameDay for at least the next two years.
Combined with endorsement deals and other media appearances, it’s safe to say that Herbstreit is certainly one of the most-paid broadcasters in sports.
Herbstreit’s CFB and Broadcast Career
Herbstreit hails from Centerville, Ohio, just an hour from Ohio State University in Columbus and three hours from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. As a quarterback and four-year letterman with the Buckeyes (1989-92), he followed the path of his father, Jim, who also played, captained the team (1958-60), and later coached under Woody Hayes.
Herbstreit joined ESPN in 1995 as a college football sideline analyst. By 1996, he became a fixture on College GameDay, helping the show win nine Sports Emmy Awards. He’s earned three Sports Emmys as Outstanding Studio Analyst (2010, 2011, 2019) and two as Outstanding Event Analyst, making him ESPN’s most decorated on-air commentator.
Known for his meticulous research and insight, Herbstreit regularly contributes to SportsCenter, ESPN’s weekly CFP rankings show, and the NFL Draft broadcasts on both ESPN and ABC.
In 2021, he added “author” to his titles with the release of his memoir, Out of the Pocket: Football, Fatherhood and ‘College GameDay’ Saturdays, co-written with Gene Wojciechowski.
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