ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit in Dublin for FSU football opener. Time to move on from last year?
Saturday will be a day of firsts for Florida State football and its fans.
The Seminoles are playing their first overseas game in history in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland.
It will be also the first time many FSU fans will see ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit up close since 2014, when College GameDay last aired from Tallahassee. The popular pregame show is also headed overseas for the first time for the Week 0 ACC showdown in the Emerald Isle.
Nobody expects to see many high-fives during this reunion as the relationship between FSU faithful and Herbstreit has soured.
While plenty of boos, heckles and creative signage will probably fill the air during the College GameDay broadcast, FSU fans have the perfect opportunity to take the high road, have some Irish fun and display their unbridled passion for the Seminoles.
It's time to move on.
Let the War Chant and Tomahawk Chop send any messages.
"I hope he gets a classy snub," FSU alum and Tallahassee resident Melvin Pope III said.
"Onward .... without him."
ESPN College GameDay's Kirk Herbstreit takes stance on FSU football
Herbstreit, of course, has felt the wrath of FSU faithful on social media since he initially took his stance on the Seminoles being left out of the College Football Playoff last season despite winning the ACC Championship and finishing the regular season 13-0.
Herbstreit was among the first to suggest an undefeated FSU team could and should be left out and it stood little chance in the playoffs without injured quarterback Jordan Travis. Travis was lost for the season when he suffered a lower left leg injury against North Alabama in the team's regular-season finale at home Nov. 18.
Rewinding even further, Herbstreit also seemed to have the opinion that FSU could have been left out even before the injury to Travis. And there's another elephant in the room, too. FSU fans and others across conferences have always felt an ESPN bias towards the SEC during the season and CFP selection show.
The days passed by but ....
Herbstreit continued to double-down on his opinion and openly argued with FSU fans on social media. Not even his attempt to smooth things over helped when he called on the college football world to applaud the Seminoles for what they accomplished and repeatedly said he had nothing against FSU.
Michael Alford, FSU's Vice President and Director of Athletics, told The Tallahassee Democrat he and Herbstreit had a "great" conversation earlier this week. They talked for nearly 45 minutes and each said their peace.
Wayne Hogan, a former FSU sports information director and interim athletic director, has known Herbstreit for more than 30 years and described him as "a pro and straight shooter." The popular and established broadcaster knows not everybody agrees with his stance. Hogan also believes Herbstreit doesn't want to open "any old wounds" when discussing the Seminoles.
"My guess is he's moved on and will not bring it up except as a historical commentary on what happened to FSU last year," Hogan said.
Many in garnet and gold say they will never forget Herbstreit's stance regarding the Seminoles' historic snub last year - FSU was the first undefeated team from a major Power-5 conference to be excluded from the playoffs since its inception in 2014.
Some might be willing to forgive, maybe. But everyone is ready to embrace the 2024 season.
FSU fan Boyd Laffitte offered, "Take the High Road. Ancient history. Go Noles!" Added Bruce Jones: "It's time to move on." Charlie Barnes, whose love of FSU and ability to inspire fellow supporters for Seminoles Boosters, Inc., eloquently stated, “Never trouble your mind by replaying the last loss. Look forward to the next win. Herbstreit is a performer. Cheer for the Noles and let Kirk play his part in the story.”
Herbstreit meanwhile, is anticipating a 'fiery' reception from the GameDay crowd.
"Think Ireland folks are fired up from what I hear. Excited for them. Also hearing Noles bringing massive contingent over-which is great!" Herbstreit wrote on Twitter in response to a fan about the game.
ESPN also announced this week that Sheamus of WWE fame will be the first guest picker of the 2024 college football season. Sheamus is the ring name of Dublin native Stephen Farrelly.
Oh, and the football game?
Kickoff is noon on ESPN (EST) and the game is sold out (47,000). FSU sold 11,000 tickets for the game. The forecast calls for temps in the low-60s with party cloudy skies and a 19% chance of rain.
FSU fans have already started arriving in Ireland as well, enjoying the sights and sounds of the second-largest island of the British Isles. The Seminoles football team will practice in Tallahassee Wednesday and depart for Ireland later in the day. It will also spend two extra days in Dublin after the game. FSU's Marching Chiefs are also making the trip and will perform at scheduled events leading up to the game and during halftime.
The Seminoles lead the all-time series 15-11-1 against the Yellow Jackets. The teams last played in 2022, with FSU winning 41-16.
Who are the ESPN College GameDay hosts?
Rece Davis will once again anchor the three-hour coverage, alongside analysts and former FSU football player Lee Corso, Herbstreit, Steve Coughlin, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban, Pete Thamel, Jen Lada and Jess Sims will also contribute reporting.
How to Watch FSU football vs. Georgia Tech
Date: Saturday, August 24
Time: Noon ET
Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider subscription needed), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida State football fans still unhappy with ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit
