LSU fans pay warm tribute to Kirk Herbstreit’s dog Ben

“Long live Ben Herbstreit,” one sign read.

“Always in our hearts,” another added.

“RIP Ben,” another fan wrote with a heart, while another sign featured a picture of Ben with a halo over his head.

Ben’s presence became a regular part of Herbstreit’s work with ESPN and Amazon, with NFL teams and college athletic departments providing additional references and Ben even sneaking into the LSU-USC broadcast earlier this season.

Herbstreit announced on November 4 that Ben had received a second chemotherapy injection on October 23, but Ben’s condition had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer use his back legs and had not eaten in three days.

Three days later, Herbstreit announced that Ben had died and posted a tribute to the dog he had previously called his best friend.

“We found out today that the cancer had spread to Ben’s organs and there was nothing we could do – we had to let him go,” Herbstreit wrote in part in his Nov. 7 post. “I’ve had dogs all my life, but Ben was one man against one. He was smart, loving, gentle, patient, curious and hospitable to everyone. Always a big smile and a gentle wag of the tail. He and I were able to communicate. He and I got along and supported each other. He was at home with me more than anyone else and traveled with me to work. Such an uncomplicated companion.”

Herbsreit, also an NFL analyst at Amazon, still called the Ravens-Bengals game “Thursday Night Football,” but wrote on X the next day that it was “very challenging” to call.

During the pregame show, Amazon host Charissa Thompson honored Ben with a brief tribute, calling him a “huge part of the ‘TNF’ family.”