The sports world suffered an unexpected loss this week when football analyst Kirk Herbstreit announced Thursday that his beloved dog Ben had died. Ben, who is known for accompanying Herbstreit to college football and NFL games across the country, has been with Herbstreit's family for 10 years.

In a heartfelt post on social media, Herbstreit wrote that Ben, who was diagnosed with cancer in March, died after the cancer spread to his organs.

“There was nothing more we could do – we had to let him go,” Herbstreit wrote. “I've had dogs all my life, but Ben was one on one. He was smart, loving, gentle, patient, curious and hospitable to all… A hard day – but he will live in all of us forever.”

Herbstreit had already informed about Ben's health before the dog's death.

The golden retriever has accompanied Herbstreit on tour since 2021 and made his first appearance at ESPN College GameDay in November of the same year. Ben was a common sight at the games Herbstreit attended as an ESPN college football analyst and as an NFL analyst for Amazon's Thursday Night Football. Ben was also known to interrupt some of these broadcasts and move to Herbstreit in the announcement booth.

Ben was equally popular with the teams he visited, with several teams displaying their credentials specifically for the Golden Retriever. This season, Herbstreit announced that the Miami Dolphins had named Ben “Chief Happiness Officer of Football” and that the Atlanta Falcons had named him “Wide Retriever.”

Herbstreit announced last fall that Ben had become an official emotional support animal (ESA).

A few hours after his initial post, Herbstreit reposted expressing his appreciation for the people who contacted Ben.

“My phone hasn't stopped ringing for the last three hours sending me text messages and tweets about my son Ben. “I am truly overwhelmed by how many people he has touched,” Herbstreit wrote. “It's been a really hard day and all your touching notes and messages have really resonated. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and share such beautiful words about Ben.”