Meet Kirk Herbstreit's wife, who's been with him through every twist

Meet Kirk Herbstreit's wife, who's been with him through every twist

Kirk Herbstreit’s wife, Allison Butler, has been by his side since their college days. She has supported him through every major milestone in his broadcasting career. They have been together since their college days, but have been married since June 1998 and are parents of four children.

Allison Butler and her husband, Kirk Herbstreit
Allison Butler and her husband, Kirk Herbstreit, smile as they attend an event together. Photo: @DianaDavis on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Allison Butler is an alumna of the Ohio State University, where she was a cheerleader for the Buckeyes.
  • She started dating American sportscaster Kirk Herbstreit in college, and the two exchanged marriage vows on 13 June 1998.
  • Their more than two decades of marriage has been blessed with four children: Jake, Tye, Zak, and Chase.
  • In January 2025, her husband revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Profile summary

Full name

Allison Butler

Gender

Female

Place of birth

United States

Current residence

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

White

Religion

Christianity

Sexuality

Straight

Hair colour

Dark brown

Eye colour

Brown

Marital status

Married

Partner

Kirk Edward Herbstreit

Children

4

College

Ohio State University

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Meet Kirk Herbstreit’s wife, Allison Butler

American sportscaster and ex-college football player Kirk Herbstreit’s spouse is Allison Butler. Despite being the wife of a prominent personality, details about her background, including her parents and siblings, are lacking. She is an American national of white ethnicity currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

For her undergraduate education, she attended Ohio State University, where she was a cheerleader. She completed her undergraduate studies at the institution in 1993.

Five facts about Kirk Herbstreit's wife, Allison Butler.
Five facts about Kirk Herbstreit's wife, Allison Butler. Photo: @DianaDavis on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: Original

Allison Butler and Kirk Herbstreit’s journey to marriage

Allison Butler and Kirk Herbstreit’s relationship began during their time at the Ohio State University. She was a cheerleader, and Kirk was the star quarterback of the college’s football team. Their connection grew naturally as they spent more time together.

They began dating in college, and their relationship continued to strengthen even after Kirk graduated and started building his career.

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After several years together, the couple decided to take the next step and exchanged marriage vows on 13 June 1998. Following the marriage, she is sometimes referred to as Allison Herbstreit. They have been together for approximately 27 years.

Inside Allison Butler and Kirk Herbstreit’s family

Allison Butler and her sons pose for a photo
Allison Butler and her sons sit on a staircase as they pose for a group photo. Photo: @kirkherbstreit on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Kirk Herbstreit and Allison Butler are parents of four sons. Their family journey began with the arrival of twin boys, Tye and Jake Herbstreit, on 18 June 2000. The twins attended Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville before enrolling at Clemson University, where they graduated with undergraduate degrees in marketing.

Both Jake and Tye played football throughout high school and college as members of the Clemson Tigers. According to his LinkedIn profile, Jake pursued an additional degree in consumer and family financial services at The Ohio State University.

Tye ventured into digital content creation, running a self-titled YouTube channel focused on movie reviews and co-hosting the Streit Talk Show podcast with Jake.

Allison Butler and her four sons take a group picture
Kirk Herbstreit's wife, Allison Butler (C), smiles as she takes a photo with her four sons. Photo: @kirkherbstreit on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Their third son, Zak Herbstreit, was born on 9 December 2002. Like his older brothers, he attended Montgomery Bell Academy and pursued a marketing degree at The Ohio State University. Zak also played college football but retired early due to a medical condition. He later joined On3 and currently hosts Off Script with Zak Herbstreit.

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The youngest of the four brothers is Chase, born on 7 August 2007. He studied at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati before joining the University of Michigan. Following in the family’s athletic footsteps, Chase also plays football and has been part of the Michigan Wolverines roster since August 2025.

What happened to Herbstreit's wife?

Allison Butler and Kirk Herbstreit attend their son's graduation
Allison Butler and Kirk Herbstreit take a photo during their son's graduation. Photo: @clemsonfb on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

American sports commentator Kirk Herbstreit revealed that his wife, Allison Butler, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. During an emotional conversation with Pat McAfee on his ESPN show, he shared that it has been an incredibly difficult year for him and his family behind the scenes. As reported by CNN, he said:

My wife got diagnosed with breast cancer. You know, (my dog) Ben dies. It was just a lot of emotion. And when you do what we do, you endure. You do your job.

He added:

My son had heart failure two years ago. They were talking about a heart replacement there for a while, and he had to medically retire.

FAQs

  1. Who is Allison Butler? She is the wife of American sportscaster and former college football quarterback Kirk Herbstreit. Allison is a former Ohio State University cheerleader.
  2. Where does Allison Butler live? She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her family. Although Kirk travels frequently for work, Nashville remains their primary residence.
  3. How did Kirk Herbstreit meet his wife, Allison Butler? He met his wife while they were both students at Ohio State University, where she was a cheerleader for the Buckeyes, and he played quarterback for the team.
  4. When did Kirk Herbstreit and Allison Butler get married? The couple tied the knot on 13 June 1998. They had been dating since their time at Ohio State University, before deciding to get married.
  5. Is Kirk Herbstreit still married? He is still married to Allison Butler and has been married for approximately 27 years.
  6. How many children do Kirk Herbstreit and Allison Butler have? They have four children, all sons: twins Jake and Tye (born 18 June 2000), Zak (born 9 December 2002), and their youngest son, Chase (born 7 August 2007).
  7. What is Kirk Herbstreit's wife's diagnosis? The sportscaster revealed in January 2025 that his wife, Allison Butler, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Kirk Herbstreit’s wife, Allison Butler, has remained a steadfast presence in his life and career. Their relationship started in college, but they have been married for more than two decades. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a mother of four sons, all of whom have played college football.

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Sydney Horne is the daughter of Amanda Defore and Jon Horne, and she grew up alongside her two siblings. She attended Northwest Whitfield High School, where her long-term relationship with Ladd McConkey first began. The couple eventually tied the knot in April 2025.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Muhunya Muhonji avatar

Muhunya Muhonji (Lifestyle writer) Muhunya is a graduate of Agricultural Economics from Egerton University, Class of 2014, with a passion for storytelling and content creation. Since joining Legit.ng as a writer in July 2021, he has covered diverse topics such as entertainment, technology, business, and biographies. His journalism journey has seen him complete multiple professional courses, including the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (2023), the Google News Initiative course (March 2024), and Fact-Checking and Research training (September 2024). Email: muhunyah@gmail.com

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