“Might Be Getting a Little Bigger”: Kirk Herbstreit Announces Major Personal News to Ex-Teammate Turned ESPN Colleague

Kirk Herbstreit has never been shy about sharing a little glimpse of his life away from college football, and his latest exchange with Joey Galloway offered another reason for fans to pay attention. What started as a casual conversation quickly turned into a playful back-and-forth, with his former teammate throwing in a rather specific request. 

Herbstreit recently posted a video on Instagram on November 4 with a caption, “The Herbstreit Crew might be getting a little bigger.” Well, Herbstreit and his wife Alison are not expecting a baby but rather a fur baby, and they might already have a name for it. 

“I got four,” Herbstreit said when Joey Galloway asked him about how many dogs he got on his podcast on November 4. Well, rather than it being a request, Galloway wasn’t so keen about the dogs until one of them was named after him. 

“Until you get a Joey in there, I don’t care,” Galloway said. “Unless you get a dog named Joey, I’m not in.”

While petting his golden retriever on the podcast, Herbstreit let Galloway in on a secret and even accepted his demand. “Don’t tell Allison, but maybe no. 5 is coming up,” he said. Galloway did not waste any time in asking if they had picked a name for the upcoming dog, and when Herbstreit said no, he was ecstatic.

“Hey, let’s go. Already gave you her name,” Galloway said.

“I’ll be in. When you name the dog Joey, I’m in.” Herbstreit gave in and let Joey take the win. “I like Joey. When you get in trouble, you can say Joseph.”

Herbstreit is already a proud dog dad to four pups named Peter, Theo, Mitch, and Beau. His first golden retriever, Ben, was the leader of the pack and was a lot like his owner, laid-back. Ben was a piece of home for Herbstreit and used to travel with him everywhere during road trips. 

“Just to have him in the hotel room. I can be doing my (analyst) boards, and he’ll be right next to me. It’s his personality that makes me appreciate who he is,” Herbstreit said. “He’s a partner. He’s made a night and day difference for me being on the road.”

The pandemic opened a door: pet-friendly hotels became standard, and Herbstreit seized the chance to bring Ben along. What began as a way to have some company gradually became a tradition. Fans grew accustomed to seeing Ben alongside Kirk every Saturday during College GameDay. Eventually, they started expecting him to be there; they “almost demanded” his presence.

Ben sadly passed away in November 2024. Although Kirk still had three golden retrievers at home, he naturally turned to the youngest one as a potential new travel companion. Peter’s debut came during a game in November 2024, and while the noise should have been uncomfortable for him, he was rather unbothered by it. 

Peter is quite an icon in college football, and not because of his cuteness; like many players, he even has a NIL deal. Herbstreit’s two-year-old golden retriever has landed a paid endorsement deal with Hertz, the car rental company.

Peter has a straightforward arrangement. Hertz wanted to use his name, image, and likeness to promote its brand. Hertz already has a marketing campaign featuring 30 golden retrievers called the Gold Squad. As of September 1, Peter had his own segment, “Peter’s Golden Picks,” in which he predicts the winner of one of the biggest college football matchups every week.

“Peter just makes people feel good,” Brian Canning, Hertz chief marketing officer, said. “And that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do as well—make people happy, especially as they’re traveling. So it was just a perfect relationship.”

The post “Might Be Getting a Little Bigger”: Kirk Herbstreit Announces Major Personal News to Ex-Teammate Turned ESPN Colleague appeared first on EssentiallySports.