Kirk Herbstreit’s wife, Alison Butler, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. This revelation came shortly after his emotional appearance during the College Football Playoff National Championship broadcast. The ESPN analyst’s disclosure highlights a series of personal struggles his family has faced over the past year.
Here’s what we know about the challenges Herbstreit revealed and how they have impacted his family.
Kirk Herbstreit gets emotional after revealing wife’s breast cancer diagnosis
Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN college football analyst, shared his personal struggles following his emotional reaction to Ohio State’s championship win on January 20, 2025.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show on January 21, Herbstreit shared, “It’s been a tough year for me behind the scenes. My wife got diagnosed with breast cancer.” He added that the victory brought a wave of relief and emotion after a challenging period.
Herbstreit’s wife, Alison Butler, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024. The couple, married since 1998, shares four sons: twins Tye and Jake, 24, Zak, 22, and Chase, 18. Reflecting on the toll of the diagnosis and other family hardships, Herbstreit also mourned the loss of their golden retriever, Ben, to cancer in November 2024. “It’s been a lot of emotion,” he stated. “When you do what we do, you endure. You do your job. But that night, it all just got the best of me.”
Adding to the emotional weight, Herbstreit recalled his son Zak’s heart failure in 2023, which required hospitalization and led to Zak’s medical retirement from football. Despite no longer playing, Zak remained an integral part of the Ohio State team thanks to head coach Ryan Day’s support. “Ryan Day put his arms around Zak and kept him involved. That meant everything to me,” Herbstreit said.
After the game, Herbstreit appeared visibly emotional during ESPN’s postgame broadcast with Scott Van Pelt. “I’m a little emotional. I’m just fired up for these guys,” he admitted, acknowledging the challenges the team and his family faced. His emotional reaction highlighted both personal struggles and deep appreciation for resilience on and off the field.
