Kirk Herbstreit steps to the lectern and clears his throat. Two cameramen crouch in front, capturing him from alternate angles — one locked on his made-for-TV visage and the other set to pan across his body once he starts delivering his lines.
How did he get here, to a lecture hall at Middle Tennessee State University on a late summer day, surrounded by mascots, marching band members, cheerleaders and die-hard fans ESPN has summoned from around the college football universe?
For Herbstreit, standing at the center of the sport's unmistakable pageantry has always felt perfectly natural, like a calling from birth. This commercial, while contrived, should serve a twofold purpose: to remind people why they continue to worship a sport that many feel has lost its way — and that, no matter how much the game changes, no matter how much fun he has broadcasting Thursday night NFL games on Prime Video with Al Michaels this fall, Herbstreit's heart still beats to college football's delirious drum.
