Kirk Herbstreit says wife's handstands led to four sons
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit says his wife Alison's post-sex handstand routine is why the couple had four sons. On the Bussin' With the Boys podcast, the College GameDay star said Alison, a former gymnast, would flip upside down on the bed after intimacy because she heard male sperm swim faster — and they went "four for four" on boys.
Key Takeaways
- Kirk Herbstreit told podcast hosts that Alison did bed handstands after sex to try to conceive boys.
- The couple share four sons — Jake and Tye, 26; Zak, 23; and Chase, 19 — and Kirk said he still wanted a daughter.
- Alison was a gymnast and Ohio State cheerleader; Kirk played football there.
- Medical experts say no reliable evidence supports post-sex positioning to choose a baby's sex.
- The family has also spoken publicly about Zak's heart condition and Alison's 2024 breast cancer diagnosis.
What Did Kirk Herbstreit Say on the Podcast?
Herbstreit, 57, made the remarks on the August 25 episode of Bussin' With the Boys, according to Yahoo Entertainment. When asked about his "secret" to having boys, he clarified the question was about sons specifically.
"My wife was a gymnast," he said. "When we would get done … she heard the male sperm were faster. She would do a headstand or handstand. She would go up on the bed, and we're four for four." He told hosts he was unsure how long Alison held each pose but said they used the same approach for all four pregnancies.
The clip spread quickly across sports and celebrity outlets, landing the longtime ESPN voice in another round of viral celebrity breaking news coverage.
Who Is Kirk Herbstreit's Wife?
Alison Herbstreit (née Bulter) met Kirk while he played college football at Ohio State and she was a cheerleader, per Yahoo. Her gymnastics background, he said, made the bed handstands feasible.
Together they raised four sons. Despite the streak of boys, Kirk added on the podcast that he "wanted a girl." The family has faced serious health scares in recent years. Kirk told ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show in January that Alison was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024. Their son Zak was hospitalized for five days in 2023 with heart failure that briefly raised talk of a heart transplant before he medically retired from football.
Does Science Support Handstands for Conceiving Boys?
No. Yahoo noted there is no evidence backing the Herbstreits' theory. NIH research explains that a baby's sex is determined randomly when an X- or Y-bearing sperm fertilizes an egg — not by post-intercourse gymnastics.
Faster-swimming sperm may reach the egg first, but that does not reliably skew outcomes toward boys. Positioning after sex is a long-standing folk idea; obstetricians generally treat it as coincidence when families like the Herbstreits see repeated results.
Why Is This Story Getting Attention?
Herbstreit is one of college football's most recognizable broadcasters, anchoring ESPN's College GameDay for decades. A candid bedroom anecdote from that platform naturally fuels debate, memes, and parenting forums.
Fox News reported the exchange underlined how even celebrity couples chase old wives' tales — and how willingly athletes share them on unfiltered podcasts. For fans, it humanizes a familiar voice usually heard breaking down fourth-down calls, not fertility hacks.