Kirk Herbstreit’s Family Revelation Sparks Surprise Reactions Across College Football World

Kirk Herbstreit’s family life just took center stage in a way that might surprise even his most devoted college football fans. Here’s a guy who’s been the face and voice of Buckeye football for years—someone who wears Ohio State loyalty like a badge of honor—yet has been navigating life far beyond Columbus for over a decade. What happens when the love for a team clashes with the realities of work, family, and, yes, the occasional tough fan? For the Herbstreits, it meant moving from Nashville to Cincinnati so their youngest son, Chase, could chase his quarterback dreams at St. Xavier—and now, with graduation in the rearview, it’s back to Music City. But here’s the kicker: amidst all the gridiron glitz and broadcasting hustle, it’s the simple things—the daily trail walks with his wife—that resonate most. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Sometimes the biggest plays happen away from the stadium lights. If you’re curious about the full story behind this family’s moves and the love-hate dance with Ohio State fans, you won’t want to miss it. LEARN MORE.

Kirk Herbstreit announced some cool family news this week.

The former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback, who has been covering college football for ESPN and the NFL for Amazon Prime, has been splitting time between Nashville, Tennessee and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Herbstreits moved out of Columbus more than a decade ago. Herbstreit was very honest about Ohio State fans and their relationship with him at the time.

“Nobody loves Ohio State more than me,” Herbstreit told the Columbus Dispatch. “I still have a picture of Woody Hayes and my dad (Jim, a former OSU player) in my office, and nobody will do more than I do for the university behind the scenes. But I’ve got a job to do, and I’m going to continue to be fair and objective. To continue to have to defend myself and my family in regards to my love and devotion to Ohio State is unfair. …

“Eighty to ninety percent of the Ohio State fans are great. It’s the vocal minority that make it rough. They probably represent only 5 to 10 percent of the fan base, but they are relentless.”

While the Herbstreits moved to Nashville from Columbus, they recently moved to Cincinnati, so their youngest son, Chase, could play quarterback at St. Xavier.

Chase is graduating now, though, so the Herbstreits will be moving back to Nashville in June.

They are excited.

“Our goal was to go back to our home in Nashville. We’re going to go back on June 1st, and we’re excited about that. One of the things my wife and I talk about, we miss, is there a trail,” Herbstreit said.

“One of the things my wife and I talk about that we miss is that there’s a trail. We just love it, and we go every day, and we miss that so much.”

College football fans have applauded Herbstreit for being honest about his moves.

“As long as they are happy, that’s all that matters. It’s a shame they felt like they had to leave Columbus!!” one fan wrote.

“He’s right about the fans, and it’s totally unfair!” one fan added.

“Good for him, I hope he’s happy,” one fan added.

As long as the Herbstreits are happy with wherever they are, that’s all that matters.