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Sports Media Aghast at Kirk Herbstreit's 'Disingenuous' Comments About Ted Cruz's 'GameDay' Appearance

Herbstreit said Cruz was invited to explain the bipartisan bill as fans booed the segment and critics accused ESPN of airing politics without a counterpoint.

  • On Sept 12, College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit hosted Senator Ted Cruz in Austin to discuss The Protect College Sports Act, a 10-minute segment that drew immediate backlash from viewers and media figures.
  • The Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill led by Cruz and Maria Cantwell, aims to regulate NIL and revenue sharing; Cruz used the ESPN platform to promote the legislation without offering a counterpoint.
  • Herbstreit told reporters he is an 'independent guy' who invited Cruz to explain the bill, yet critics, including Dan Wolken, labeled the analyst's claims of political ignorance as 'completely disingenuous.'
  • Seeking equal time, NAACP President Derrick Johnson joined SportsCenter to voice the organization's opposition to the bill after having previously called for inclusion on the program.
  • GameDay moves to Oxford next week, marking Lane Kiffin's first return to Oxford since leaving the Rebels for Baton Rouge; the show will broadcast ahead of the Ole Miss game against LSU.
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Herbstreit eviscerated for defending Cruz’s ESPN appearance

Kirk Herbstreit’s explanation for having Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as a guest on ESPN’s “College GameDay” last week from Austin is being met with as much backlash as the actual interview.

·New York, United States
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Awful Announcing broke the news on Friday, September 18, 2026.
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