College football’s great gold rush has been remarkably inclusive. Quarterbacks have cashed in, coaches command millions, agents and collectives have learned how to milk it, and an expanding economy has found ways to put a price on seemingly every piece of the sport.It was perhaps only a matter of time before somebody priced the golden retriever.Peter Herbstreit, the 2-year-old dog owned by ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Kirk Herbstreit, has landed a paid endorsement deal with Hertz, which has dressed the arrangement in the most college-football-in-2026 label imaginable: an NIL deal.The designation requires a little imagination. Peter is not an NCAA athlete, and the College Sports Commission has no jurisdiction over golden retrievers. Still, while actual athletes await rulings on whether some of their deals constitute legitimate NIL, Peter’s transaction is almost refreshingly literal: Hertz wanted his name, image and likeness, and no further compliance review was needed.Under the deal, Peter joins Hertz’s “Gold Squad,” a marketing campaign that already features 30 golden retrievers, and he’ll pick up the title of college football prognosticator. Beginning Sept. 1, Peter will predict one of the week’s marquee matchups during “Peter’s Golden Picks,” using a different canine-friendly method each week. Some installments have been filmed in advance; others will follow Peter on the road all the way into the College Football Playoff.Hertz has christened the partnership college football’s first golden retriever NIL deal. The economics, however, are considerably less fictional.“Peter (is) not free,” said Hertz chief marketing officer Brian Canning, who didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement.Canning said the company’s 30-dog Gold Squad has delivered double-digit social engagement gains and outperformed traditional marketing in converting website visitors and enrolling loyalty members.“Peter just makes people feel good,” Canning said. “And that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do as well — make people happy, especially as they’re traveling. So it was just a perfect relationship.”Peter will make a game pick on ESPN’s “College GameDay” this season. (Adam Cairns / Imagn Images)Kirk’s tradition of bringing one of his golden retrievers began with Ben, who routinely joined Kirk on the road after COVID-19 made pet-friendly hotels easier to find. Companionship gradually became ritual: fans learned to look for Ben each Saturday until, Kirk said, they “almost demanded” his presence. When Ben died in November 2024, three golden retrievers remained at home. Kirk almost instinctively reached for the youngest.Peter’s audition came at Alabama-LSU in Death Valley — a rather unforgiving screen test for a barely 1-year-old dog. Tiger Stadium supplied the lights, music and roar. Kirk watched to see if Peter would flinch — instead, his head just swiveled toward whatever spectacle came next.