Kirk Herbstreit Breaks Down Over Dog's Death on 'College GameDay'

Kirk Herbstreit's grieving the loss of man's best friend ... breaking down over his dog Ben's death live on-air.

The football commentator appeared on ESPN's "College GameDay" Saturday morning ... just two days after he announced he and his wife had to put down his golden retriever -- who traveled with him to many of his games.

During the broadcast, ESPN played a clip all about Ben ... with Kirk talking about how he was far more than just a dog or travel companion -- and, clearly Ben's still feeling very raw emotionally 'cause he could barely talk about Ben during the show.

Just before the clip, Kirk's cohosts thanked him for sharing Ben with them ... and the crowd begins to chant out "We love Ben!" rhythmically.

It seems Kirk was supposed to speak a little more about his pup ... but, watch the video -- he simply wasn't able to get the words out.

Ben rose to fame over the years ... running around the country with Kirk and appearing on multiple national broadcasts. He was often spotted roaming the fields among other players, coaches and Kirk's colleagues.

Ben was 10.