Kirk Herbstreit’s college football warning raises tough questions as ESPN’s College GameDay veteran enters 30th season

Kirk Herbstreit is entering his 30th season with ESPN’s College GameDay, but the veteran commentator is not happy with the direction college football has taken. In a new interview with PEOPLE, the former Ohio State quarterback spoke about the major changes he has seen during his three decades on the show. Herbstreit said the sport has changed more in the last three or four years than it did in the previous 100, and he believes a lack of clear leadership has made things harder to follow.Kirk Herbstreit points to major changes in college footballHerbstreit joined ESPN in 1995 and tried out for College GameDay a year later. He was only 26 when he got the role, even though he did not expect to get it. Looking back, he told PEOPLE, “I stumbled into getting this opportunity at ESPN.”Three decades later, Herbstreit has watched college football change in ways he never expected. The growth of the transfer portal, player rights, government involvement and court decisions has created a very different sport from the one he knew when he started.“I mean, really in the last three or four years, I think we’ve seen more change than the previous hundred years—and not always for the better,” Herbstreit said. “It’s been frustrating at times to watch.”One of his biggest concerns is the lack of a clear authority that can set and enforce rules across the sport. He also questioned how much power players now have compared with the past.“We have these district judges all over the country making unbelievable rulings that make no sense, and there’s no one there to stop them,” Herbstreit said. “The players went from having absolutely no say to now all the say. And that doesn’t make any sense to me either.”Kirk Herbstreit remains hopeful about College GameDay and college footballDespite his concerns, Herbstreit does not believe college football has lost what makes it special. He pointed to the atmosphere around games as proof that fans still care deeply about the sport.“You go out to these games and the stadiums are full, the marching bands come out, the student sections are full,” he said. “Here come the teams and their uniforms, and it’s still an incredible celebration on Saturday.”That popularity gives Herbstreit some hope that the sport can eventually find a clearer path. He believes the current problems need to be addressed, but he still sees plenty worth celebrating on Saturdays.“The ratings have never been higher. The interest in the sport has never been bigger,” Herbstreit said. “I’m hopeful that we get some direction here in the next year or two to try to make some sense of where we are.”Herbstreit will now begin another season on College GameDay as the show returns Saturday, Sept. 5, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.