Kirk Herbstreit recently reinforced his stance that men should not compete in women’s sports, expressing frustration with the backlash he’s received for holding what he views as a traditional perspective.
The ESPN “College GameDay” host made these remarks during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me! with Dan Dakich” on Tuesday morning, where he opened up about his growing discontent with the current climate surrounding such discussions.
Herbstreit, who has been a prominent analyst on “College GameDay” since 1996 and is ESPN’s lead college football analyst, admitted that he has been holding back his true feelings on various topics for years. However, he reached a breaking point, declaring that he’s “done giving any s—ts” about the potential repercussions of speaking his mind.
“I didn’t give a s–t, though. I don’t really give a s–t at all. Like, I’m done giving any s–ts at all about any of it,” Herbstreit bluntly stated when asked about his response to a question on social media last week regarding transgender athletes in sports. “It’s almost like there are two different sets of rules, and if you have a view that’s a little bit more traditional — I’m a Christian guy, it’s like there’s a different set of rules for that viewpoint, and it’s hard to just turn the other cheek time after time after time. I didn’t really care.”
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Herbstreit continued, explaining that he no longer feels the need to censor his opinions to avoid backlash. “So, yeah, I didn’t really care, and I don’t care at all, which is a good thing. I think it’s good and healthy to get to that place, compared to, ‘Oh, gosh, I don’t want to get canceled. I don’t want to get people upset.’ I don’t give a s–t. I’m just going to say certain things.”
He also acknowledged that his temper sometimes gets the better of him, leading to more explosive reactions. “My problem is I have a temper, and so if I get to that point, if that fuse gets lit, I let it go and then I’ll explode and say something, so I have to be careful of that.”
Herbstreit’s remarks came after he responded to an X user who asked, “Do men belong in women’s sports?” His simple reply of “Of course not. Ridiculous question,” sparked a wave of reactions online. However, Herbstreit revealed that he did not face any reprimands from ESPN regarding his comments.
“I’ve been biting my tongue on a lot of topics for three years,” Herbstreit admitted. “I was just like, I’m just going to give a quick answer, ‘Ridiculous question, of course not.’ I didn’t dwell on it. I didn’t give a like a long answer — that was it, and I didn’t realize it would be way more positive than negative.”
He acknowledged that while some might be upset by his stance, he believes the issue is clear-cut. “I’m sure people are upset about it. I think it’s kind of a no-brainer. I don’t have a daughter, I have four sons. If I had a daughter, I’d probably be way more outspoken about the discussion on the topic.”
Herbstreit also hinted at his plans to be more vocal about his beliefs once he retires from broadcasting. “I’ve tried to stay on the sidelines for a lot of that, but you know, you can only take so much until you want to start to speak up a little bit and actually say what you think. When I retire … I’ll be able to say what I think a lot more.”
His comments were made in the context of the ongoing controversy surrounding Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif, who recently won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Khelif has been at the center of a gender debate after her opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, surrendered just 46 seconds into their welterweight match, citing the unfairness of the fight. Carini’s decision came after warnings from others about facing Khelif, who had previously been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships due to failed gender eligibility tests.
In response to the backlash, Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, announced that a complaint had been filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office regarding the online harassment she faced about her gender during the Olympics.
Herbstreit’s willingness to speak out on such a sensitive issue reflects his frustration with the current discourse surrounding gender and sports. While his remarks have sparked both support and criticism, they underscore the broader debate on the inclusion of transgender athletes in competitive sports, a topic that continues to divide public opinion.
