Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN’s lead college football analyst, wanted to set the record straight about the network’s reputation when it comes to the SEC.

During an appearance on the Andy & Ari On3 podcast, Herbstreit strongly pushed back on the widespread perception that ESPN is biased toward the SEC.

“I’m telling you right now, I’ve never, in 29 years, had anybody from ESPN – and I’ve never witnessed it – ‘Hey, you know who pays the bills, make sure you get the SEC’s back.’ I’ve never, ever experienced (that),” Herbstreit said.

“I’ve never in my life had somebody say, ‘We have a deal now with the SEC, so you need to be pro SEC.’ Never in my life,” Herbstreit added. “I don’t even know who’s in what league anymore… I watch the teams, and if truth be known, I’m a Big Ten guy. Like, when I’m not there, I am cheering like crazy in these bowl games for Big Ten teams.”

According to Herbstreit, ESPN executives aren’t the least bit upset that only one SEC team – Texas – made it to the semifinals of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

“Let me straighten the record on one last thing,” Herbstreit said. “ESPN loves the SEC so much that we could not have paid for a better final four with Notre Dame and Ohio State and Penn State and Texas. The only one missing is Michigan. If you could somehow wedge Michigan in… So, this idea that we want Alabama and Texas A&M and Auburn – are you kidding me?

“Like, if you’re asking us who we would want, ‘Uh, we’ll take Ohio State every year, Notre Dame.’ This is a ratings bonanza. So if you’re going to accuse us of anything, you should accuse us of wanting Ohio State, wanting Notre Dame and these big brands. If you knew anything about ratings, that’s who you want. You don’t want these small little Clemsons and small little southern schools when it comes to cheering for ratings. Ratings are big, massive Big Ten brands. That’s what ratings are.”

Herbstreit asserted that if ESPN’s agenda was just to push the SEC, the network’s “College GameDay” pregame show would only travel to and air from SEC schools throughout the season.

“If I’ve added to the perception that ESPN just loves the SEC – because we love college football, we love stories, and that’s really not anything that’s on our mind in any way,” Herbstreit said.

“We went to Big Ten games all year and promoted the hell out of them. So, I think that’s kind of a reaction. I apologize if I was part of that,” Herbstreit added. “That’s not my goal in any way at all.”

–Photo courtesy Kirby Lee-Imagn Images