On Monday Andrew Marchand of The New York Post reported that ESPN is taking a hard look at both the long and short term futures of Monday Night Football. While Drew Brees remains in the network’s plans for the long-term, ESPN is trying to figure out what to do until he retires.
Marchand reported that several different options have been kicked around for the Monday Night booth in 2020. While Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, and Dan Orlovsky have emerged as the favorites, ESPN brass is considering moving Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit over to the pro game from ABC’s Saturday Night College Football broadcast.
Herbstreit joined Sean Salisbury on Sportstalk 790 in Houston on Tuesday morning and said that he might consider doing Monday Night Football, but he wouldn’t give up any of his current duties to make it happen.
“Let me put it to you this way, if they ever approached me about Monday Night Football, and I’ve told my agent this. It would have to be in addition to what I already do, because I’m not leaving college football. I just can’t.”
It’s fair to say Herbstreit may be the face of college football on ESPN. He has seen his star rise steadily since first joining the College Gameday cast in 1996. He certainly is a bigger star in the broadcasting world than he ever was as quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Sean Salisbury gave Herbstreit high praise, telling the ESPN star that he has now become as synonymous with college football as Keith Jackson. Salisbury added that he was happy to hear Herbstreit still had enough passion for the sport that leaving the Saturday night booth and postseason broadcasts.
“I grew up as a six year old watching what you watch,” Herbstreit said, clearly acknowledging what a compliment he had just been given. “It was mythical to me to watch college football with the colors and the pageantry and the voices that the game offered.”
Salisbury pointed out a common talking point on social media, that Herbstreit “is college football” to a lot of fans. He also said he knew it would be hard for Herbstreit to walk away from College Gameday and his co-host Lee Corso who now “is family” to Herbstreit.
Herbstreit responded by reiterating that if ESPN were interested in adding Monday Night Football to his workload, that he would listen. He isn’t leaving college football broadcasts though, because right now Herbstreit has his “dream job.”