SANTA CLARA, CA – While the world’s most famous dog Peter Herbstreit got most of the attention at a hectic Radio Row on Thursday, Kirk Herbstreit was quite popular as well.

Herbstreit has become the face of college football and he made the rounds among all the chaos that is Super Bowl Week. Luckily, I was able to get a very quick interview with him after he wrapped up a spot with Yahoo Sports. He was extremely gracious with his time and provided some thoughtful insight into how college ball in New England is viewed nationally.

Here’s the exchange I had with him:

NEFJ: Kirk, first of all thanks for your time, greatly appreciated. What is the perception of BC, of Bill O’Brien and about this area of the country when it comes to college football?

HERBSTREIT: “Well, I think you have a great coach, that right now…I don’t know the funding, I don’t know the NIL world that they’re in, but I think it’s crucial for any program that’s trying to go from being a mid-tier program to becoming elite like Indiana did, it’s really about the commitment from the alumni and the NIL program they create. That at least gives you a chance to compete. Indiana didn’t spend the most money in the world, but they found the right players, much like JMU. That’s what gives me hope for teams like BC, is you don’t have to spend $30 million dollars to have a chance. But, you do have to find guys that love football, love to compete and kind of have a chip on their shoulder.

“What I just described to you is who Bill O’Brien is. So, he’s got to find guys like that and if he can, why not? Why not BC?”

NEFJ: Does BC, UConn, UMass and other New England schools…do they stand a chance at being relevant in today’s college football landscape? Or, is it just impossible in this area?

HERBSTREIT: “I don’t ever want to say anything’s impossible. Indiana just did what they did, but it’s very, very challenging if you’re in that region. What UConn just did is incredible with Jim Mora Jr. If you’re in that region and you’re comparing yourself to some of these other schools with a bigger fan base, bigger stadiums, all this crazy stuff that’s around, it’s tough to compete. But, BC was pretty good when Matt Ryan was there. UConn’s had some teams. I don’t ever say ‘you just can’t do it,’ but it has to matter to you. There has to be a plan and that plan has to be followed collectively, from the president, the AD and the head coach.

“If you get all three of those – much like the Patriots with the owner, GM and the head coach – if you can get that, you’ve got a chance. Without it, you’ve got no shot.”

NEFJ: So, no hope for UMass, basically?

HERBSTREIT: “Haha, no, I’m not saying that. Everyone has a chance if it’s done correctly.”