Kirk Herbstreit Reveals His Wife Alison Butler Is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

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Kirk Herbstreit‘s wife, Alison Butler, has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. This news emerged following his emotionally charged performance during the College Football Playoff National Championship telecast. The ESPN analyst’s announcement sheds light on a series of personal hardships that the family has experienced in 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

On January 20, 2025, Kirk Herbstreit, an ESPN college football analyst, opened up about the personal challenges he faced after expressing strong emotions in response to Ohio State’s title victory.

On The Pat McAfee Show, I opened up about my personal life on January 21st, sharing that this past year has been incredibly tough for me. You see, my beloved wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Amidst all the challenges we’ve faced, the recent victory brought a powerful surge of relief and emotion.

In 2024, Alison Butler, wife of sports analyst Kirk Herbstreit, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The couple, who have been married since 1998, are parents to four sons: Tye and Jake, aged 24, Zak, 22, and Chase, 18. With the added strain of this diagnosis and other family challenges, they also faced the heartbreaking loss of their golden retriever, Ben, who passed away from cancer in November 2024. Expressing his feelings, Herbstreit said, “It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. As people in our line of work, we endure and carry on with our responsibilities. But that night, it all just became too much.

In addition to the emotional impact, Herbstreit mentioned an incident from 2023 when his son Zak had a heart failure that ended his football career after hospitalization. However, despite no longer playing, Zak remained a crucial member of the Ohio State team due to head coach Ryan Day’s support. As Herbstreit explained, “Ryan Day embraced Zak and kept him involved. That meant everything to me.

In ESPN’s postgame show with Scott Van Pelt, Herbstreit showed clear signs of emotion. He confessed, “I’m a bit emotional, I’m just really hyped up for these guys,” expressing the hardships the team and his family have experienced. His emotional response underscored both his personal trials and admiration for their resilience, both on and off the playing field.

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2025-01-23 08:10