Some of the best sideline reporters started their journey as athletes themselves! Alex Curry played soccer throughout her youth and through college. Living in Southern California for the majority of her life, Curry is always searching for ways to give back to her community.
She often volunteers at GrowingGreat, a charity that encourages healthy eating. These days, Alex is a reporter and TV host for Fox Sports. Throughout her career, she’s covered every kind of sports one could think of!
Alanna Rizzo
No matter how you look at it, Alanna Rizzo was destined to broadcast. In 2003, Rizzo graduated from the University of Colorado with a master's degree in broadcast journalism. She started as an anchor for CBS and was brought on full-time at "Root Sports Rocky Mountian" - for which she won three regional Emmy Awards.
Thanks to her extensive knowledge of numerous sports, Rizzo often gets asked to report on significant games. The reporter is so dedicated to her job - she didn't see the incoming bucket of Gatordate that got her soaked!
Alex Curry
Some of the best sideline reporters started their journey as athletes themselves! Alex Curry played soccer throughout her youth and through college. Living in Southern California for the majority of her life, Curry is always searching for ways to give back to her community.
She often volunteers at GrowingGreat, a charity that encourages healthy eating. These days, Alex is a reporter and TV host for Fox Sports. Throughout her career, she's covered every kind of sports one could think of!
Allie LaForce
As we've watched her on the sidelines and followed her avidly on social media - we've learned a thing or two from Allie. She is a LaForce to be reckoned with! Growing up in a family of athletes, it would only make sense that she would play basketball for her university team.
While studying at Ohio State, she played basketball, where obviously, she majored in broadcast journalism. In 2011, Allie won an Emmy award for anchoring FOX 8’s "Friday Night Touchdown" high school football show.
Cari Champion
While attending UCLA, Cari Champion landed herself an internship with CNN. After her graduation, she was asked to join the Tennis Network to follow the Williams sister's tennis careers.
One of Cari's main goals is to change negative stereotypes: “I wanted to give people a voice that didn’t have a voice. I’m always fighting for the underdog. I’m not sure where I got it from, but I’ve been like that all my life. That’s why I love journalism.”
Carissa Thompson
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Carrisa Thomspon always knew she wanted to be a broadcaster. That being said, she graduated from UCLA with a degree in law and society. That didn't keep her from living out her dear; Thompson has been the host of many sports programs, including the NFL on Fox Sports.
For three consecutive years, she was a co-host of the entertainment news show "Extra." Thompson is also known as one of the hosts of "Ultimate Beastmaster," a sports entertainment reality show competition.
Erin Andrews
A sports reporting hall of famer, Erin Andrews, is also known for her sportscasting and as a television personality. She is most well known for her roles on ESPN "College Gameday" and "Good Morning America" and is a regular host on "Dancing with the Stars."
In an interview, Erin said that she always thought of herself as a tomboy growing up. Whether it was watching NBA games with her father or playing basketball, Erin's life revolved around sports.
Jimena Sanchez
Fox Sports host, Jimena Sanchez, may be one of the most recognized Mexican women on American television. She boasts many followers on her social media accounts - not thanks to her beauty but for her talent on camera.
Residing in Latin America, Sanchez is currently the host of "Lo Mejor De Fox Sports" on Fox Sports 2. A fan of American sports, Sanchez has a handful of favorite teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Yankees!
Kayce Smith
After graduating from Texas A&M University, Kayce Smith worked in College Station after graduation, where she took on multiple roles. The Texas native joined Fox Sports until her career-defining moment when ESPN approached her.
Smith has a passion for sports talk radio, which isn't surprising considering she has an extensive background in it. She is currently located in New York, where she is a personality at Sirius XM and Barstool Sports.
Kaylee Hartung
ABC News reporter Kaylee Hartung was previously a reporter for CNN as well as for ESPN, where she contributed to the SEC Network. Before her career on-screen, Kaylee attended Washington and Lee University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and politics, graduating in 2007.
Hartung was also a reporter on the daily "Washington Unplugged" program and worked as a featured correspondent for "Unplugged Under 40." In mid-2019, ABC announced that the young woman was joining the Disney family as a correspondent based out of NYC.
Kelsey Wingert
Kelsey Wingert grew up in Sugar Land, Texas. She attended and graduated from Louisiana State University in 2014, where she was on the volleyball team. She attended LSU because of the TV broadcast program.
Former Fox Sports South journalist Kelsey Wingert has done it all - from covering the Atlanta Braves to almost every other team the network covers. During the offseason, she does studio cut-ins for NHL and NBA games and does sideline reporting for Atlantic Coast Conference football games.
Kristine Leahy
Kristine Leahy rose to fame back in 2010, when she hosted the action game show "American Ninja Warrior." After earning her degree from Boston University and working as an anchor for various news stations, she was finally hired by the NBC network.
In 2012, Leahy moved to Los Angeles and worked as a sideline reporter for Turner Sports’ "March Madness" coverage. She is also the former newswoman and co-host of Fox Sports 1’s simulcast of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd."
Laura Rutledge
Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, Laura Rutledge was 2012's Miss Florida; her competition talent was ballet. Laura is a University of Florida graduate, as you may have already guessed - she majored in broadcast journalism.
Rutledge is known for her contributions to ESPN, where she is featured in multiple shows and is a host for CNN International. She has even started an original show at Fox Sports San Diego, "SDLive," which she produces and hosts!
Maria Taylor
Maria Taylor grew up in Georgia - where she attended Centennial High School, earning recognition for volleyball all through high school and her college career. She was awarded a member of the Atlanta Tip-Off Team of the Year and was named MVP of her high school volleyball team.
These days, she focuses her energy on college football and has made herself a name for herself at ESPN as a host and analyst. In 2019, Maria began hosting "NBA Countdown."
Meredith Marakovits
Yet another reporter who began her journey in sports playing volleyball we have Meredith Markovits. Growing up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she earned a volleyball scholarship to play at La Salle University. Markobits is known for her presence online at YESNetwork.com and for reporting on the Yankees as the YES network host.
Markotvits began her career as a host and reporter for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for the television network in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Staying true to her Pennsylvania roots, Meredith worked as a sideline reporter for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Molly McGrath
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and broadcast journalism, Molly McGrath is a proud Boston College Class of 2011 graduate. Following her graduation, Molly worked as a production assistant at ESPN, where she produced highlights, logged play-by-plays, as well as other various tasks on the network.
She has hosted several sportscasts on FOX, and in 2016, she even hosted a revival of the robot-fighting show "Battlebots" on ABC. She currently covers college football on ESPN.
Olivia Harlan
After marrying the professional basketball player, Sam Dekker, Olivia Harlan is known these days as Olivia Dekker. Though she is married to a basketball star, she covers all things football. Olivia and her father, Kevin, made history as the first father-daughter team to call an NFL game when the Green Bay Packers played the San Francisco 49ers.
Apart from her work, on-screen Olivia is known for being an active philanthropist. For her wedding, instead of gifts, she asked her guests to donate to the Children's Center Family Foundation, raising over $65 thousand!
Diletta Leotta
As you may have already guessed by her name, Diletta Leotta is not an American broadcaster. The Italian television presenter is actually from Catania, Sicily. Leotta studied law at the Luiss University in Rome, graduating in 2015.
She started by hosting "Serie B" games on Sky Sport in Italy, and in 2018 she worked side by side with Aída Yéspica as the host of 105 Take Away. She has been presenting the "Serie A" broadcasts for DAZN since the 2018-2019 season.
Rebecca Haarlow
If you look at Rebecca Haarlow, you won't be disappointed. She's had an extensive career; she's reported for MSG Network, NBA on TNT, Fox Sports Net, The NFL Network, NBA TV, and the Big Ten Network. Impressive, right?
Growing up in Chicago, she was a track star, earning herself six state medals. If that wasn't enough, she is also a Princeton University graduate, scoring 4,700 in the 1999 Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Championships - which is the second-highest mark in Princeton history!
Sam Ponder
After graduating from King's College, Samantha Ponder started her career as a sideline reporter for smaller college basketball and football games. She earned her big break when she was asked to host the College Gameday segment on ESPN.
Ponder was named host of Sunday NFL countdown - being the third person to land this position in the 32-year history of ESPN's Sunday morning pregame show. She is presently the host of "Sunday NFL Countdown" on ESPN.
Sara Carbonero
Sara Carbonero is a Spanish sports journalist who started her profession when she was in the third year of her journalism bachelor. While studying at the Complutense University of Madrid, she began as an intern at Radio Marca and was hired a short six months later.
In 2009, she signed a contract with Telecinco as an editor and sports presenter. One of the more notable events she covered was the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the unexpected Swiss victory over the Spaniards.
Britt McHenry
Brittany McHenry is a former ESPN personality and is currently a commentator for Fox Nation, Fox News' streaming service that runs 24/7. McHenry was born in Mout Holly Township, New Jersey, and grew up in Satellite Beach, Florida.
She was a four-year varsity starter for the women's soccer team at Satellite High School. After graduating with honors in 2007 from Stetson, Brittany went on to Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
Michelle Beisner
Michelle Beisner had an eight-year tenure as a host of NFL Weekly Countdown at the NFL Network and wired as a sideline reporter for "NFL Total Access" and "NFL GameDay Morning." These days, she is a feature reporter for ESPN and is a member of the "Monday Night Countdown" crew.
Not only she is a talented reporter, but Michelle has made a name for herself on-screen as an actress as well. She has acted in the films "Throttle," "Any Given Sunday," and "Alice in Wasteland."
Kacie McDonnell
Kacie McDonnell was born and raised in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Staying in her home state for college, she attended Villanova University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in communications. The Fox News talent appears mostly on the AFox Nation Subscription Channel as a sports and lifestyle host.
Her first big gig was hosting the Red Caper at the Patriot Awards in 2019. Before making herself a name at Fox News, Kacie worked for WTXF-TV, providing reports on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Erin Hawksworth
After years of working in the States, Hawksworth returned to her native Canada to continue her journey as a sports anchor/reporter for Rogers Sportsnet in Toronto. Erin triggered her career as an intern for the National Broadcasting Company - covering the 2004 Summer Olympics.
She has also served as a sports anchor for CNN. Hawksworth has made her way onto many networks, including working for KCPQ, the Fox affiliate in Seattle, where she worked as both a sports reporter and a morning news anchor.
Amanda Pflugrad
As a reporter for the 17-time World Champion Boston Celtics, Amanda Pflugrad conducts pre and post-game interviews with both players and coaches. In addition to this, a part of the job is delivering live game recaps and analysis and providing daily updates from the team's practice.
Her duties also include hosting the Celtics' live pre-game show during every single home game. Before this full-time gig, Amanda was a sideline reporter for ESPN, covering women's gymnastics.
Jenny Dell
Born and raised in Connecticut, Dell attended UMass Amherst and surprisingly earned her degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. In 2012, Jennifer began dating Will Middlebrooks, who was the third baseman for the Boston Red Sox at the time.
Dell previously worked for New England Sports Network, covering the Red Sox. Currently, Jennifer Dell is an NFL reporter for CBS Sports. Dell and Middlebrooks became engaged in 2014 and married in 2016; the couple has two daughters together!
Lauren Gardner
Colorado native, Lauren Gardner, served as a sideline reporter and host for almost everyone. From CBS Sports Network to the Smithsonian Channel, she's covered everything; NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, college football, and college basketball. You name it. She's done it.
More recently, Lauren joined the DAZN team as a host of the MLB show, Change-Up. She is also a part of both NHL and MLB networks, where she works on various programs.
Sage Steele
Sage Steele may be one of the best female reporters in the field - there’s no doubt about it. She attended Thomas B. Doherty High School in Colorado Springs when she transferred as a senior to Carmel, Indiana, and attended Carmel High School, graduating in 1990.
Steele attended Indiana University Bloomington and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Communication, graduating in 1995. Twenty years later, she gave the commencement speech at the 2015 graduation, a role she considers the highest honor of her career.
Jenn Brown
Jenn grew up with a love for sports; she played and captained several games in High School. She went on to follow that passion as a collegiate athlete for the University of Florida. She continued her love for sports when signed on with ESPN, where she worked as a reporter and host for eight years.
Before ESPN, the talent worked for Showtime Sports as a correspondent for two consecutive years. Brown was a special correspondent on "Inside the NFL" for two seasons, which received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show in 2008.
Jen Hale
Hale started her career in journalism in Monroe, Louisiana, at KNOW-TV, which landed her a place in Baton Rouge as their capitol correspondent in Louisiana. Between her weekend anchor job and being a reporter, she found time to write a book called "Historic Plantations of Alabama’s Black Belt."
These days, she works as an NFL sideline reporter for Fox Sports, as well as college football for the channel.
Kristina Akra
Akra is currently hosting shows as a sports reporter and anchor, but where did it all begin? The gorgeous and famous journalist was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After Kristina attended the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, she graduated with a news broadcasting degree in 2006.
She is most known for making appearances on various CNN shows, including "Weekend Express with Lynn Smith" and "New Day." One of her more prominent roles has been covering the Atlanta Braves on FoxSports South with in-game reports.
Nikki Noto
Niki, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, was destined to talk for a living at an early age. Seeing as though she was an only child, she would mostly talk to herself. She started her career in Broadcast Journalism way back in high school when she joined the class as a sophomore.
It was during those years that she realized exactly what she wanted to do. She's worked with various sports events around the country, representing ESPN, Fox Sports, NCAA, and much more.
Kristen Ledlow
Next on our list, we have the third runner-up in the 2010 Miss Florida USA pageant, Kristen Ledlow. Since leaving her pageant days behind, she's become the host of "NBA Inside Stuff" on NBA TV. She attended Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, majoring in broadcasting and communications.
After graduation, she became an anchor at WTXL-TV, hosting the "Good News Show" while writing for the "Tallahassee Quarterback Club." She also worked on the radio channel for ESPN Tallahassee, helping her make her way onto becoming a sideline reporter for Florida State Seminoles football games.
Jamie Erdahl
Born and raised in Bloomington, Minnesota, Jamie Erdahl went on to graduate from the Breck School in 2007. She is currently a reporter for CBS Sports, where she's the number one sideline reporter for "The SEC" on CBS, teaming up with Gary Danielson and Brad Nessler.
Erdahl also covers the NCAA basketball during its season and "March Madness" for CBS. Since joining the company in 2014, she's been contributing to CBS Sports Network as a studio host.
Heidi Watney
Heidi Watney is a sideline reporter and host for the Major League Baseball Network. She attended Clovis West High School in Fresno, where she was an all-around athlete; she participated in hurdles, diving, cheerleading, and gymnastics.
She earned a scholarship to San Diego State, where she graduated with honors. Heidi gained experience sportscasting in roles at the Time Warner Cable SportsNet in Los Angeles and New England Sports Network in Boston.
Kathryn Tappen
Kathryn Tappen calls Morristown, New Jersey, her hometown. Tappen didn't let the fact that there weren't any girl teams at her school stop her from playing sports; instead, she joined the boy's baseball and basketball teams!
In high school, she focused on track, and as a result, she earned both academic and athletic scholarships to attend Rutgers University. She eventually majored in journalism and was a member of the cross-country and track team at Rutgers until she graduated.
Molly Qerim
The half-Armenian half-Italian gorgeous, and brainy Qerim, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications and a minor in business administration from the University of Connecticut. She went on to receive a master's degree from Quinnipiac University in broadcast journalism.
Molly has a long, impressive resume that includes anchoring and reporting for CBS Sports Network, where she covered college football, the NCAA Tournament, the U.S. Open, and National Singing Day. She's had numerous roles on ESPN, including "UFC" and "College Football Live."
Jaime Maggio
Native New Yorker and die-hard New York Giants fan Jamie Maggio is our kind of woman. She hosted a local sports show in Los Angeles before joining Turner Sports, and in 2011, she began covering from the sidelines at the NBA and MLB playoffs.
Her breakout game occurred during her coverage of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. These days, she has the critical position of handling sideline duties for Los Angeles Clippers games on Fox Sports West.
Melanie Collins
Melanie Collins is another example of a Broadcast Journalism graduate who has worked endlessly to achieve her goal as a reporter at the top of her profession. Currently, Collins hosts the "Big Break" and is working as an NFL sideline reporter for CBS Sports.
For a long time, Melanie was the face of Yahoo! Sports - where she reported from all major sporting events all around the world. Melanie also served as the host of the weekly show "Fantasy Football Live."
Gevrina Catalina
Gevrina Catalina is a bilingual sportscaster and television personality fluent in Spanish and English. Catalina is the first-ever sportscaster for Los Angeles Football Club, who is simultaneously the bilingual digital reporter for the Los Angeles Rams.
She is an accurate representation of the diversity of Sports in Los Angeles. She graduated from the prep sports school Mater Dei. In addition to Spanish and English, she speaks fluent French - it seems like no matter where she is in the world, Catalina will always have a job!
Tracy Wolfson
Four-time Emmy-nominated sports broadcaster Tracy Wolfson is a force to be reckoned with. She made the bold move from ESPN to CBS Sports in 2004, and she's been on the sidelines at some of the most significant games in the world ever since.
She was a sideline reporter for the inaugural "Thursday Night Football" package, and before that, she was sideline reporter for the SEC on CBS Football.
Michele Smith
Long before Smith was commentating as ESPN's lead softball color analyst, she was setting records and winning Olympic medals. Michele Smith is known for her left-handed pitching that saw her and the rest of Team USA win gold twice at the Olympics for softball. When Smith was younger she was involved in a car accident that should have ruined her career. However, she underwent extensive rehab for nine months and came back swinging.
Smith has been with ESPN since 1998, and in 2012, she became the first female sports commentator for a Major League Baseball game that was televised across the country.
Jenn Sterger
Model, television personality, and former online columnist for Sports Illustrated, it seems as though Jenn Sterger has done it all. She was a co-host of the Versus sports news show, "The Daily Line," and worked as the Gameday Host for the New York Jets.
Currently, she works for All Elite Wrestling as a backstage interviewer. Though she's been out of the spotlight in recent years, she is one of the most notable women in sports media in the past 20 years!
Amanda Balionis
Golf fans who tune into TNT and CBS Sports broadcasts all know who Amanda Balionis is; she's become somewhat of a household name. Balionis started her media career at Hofstra University, where she majored (like many on this list) in broadcast journalism.
While still studying, she worked at the student newspaper. Climbing her way to the top, she interned for several stations and started her professional career at a paper in Lancaster. She began as a reporter for the PGA tour, eventually making her way to CBS Sports in 2017!
Jill Arrington
With a degree in broadcast journalism in hand, Jill Arrington graduated from the University of Miami. Shortly after graduation, she began her broadcasting career as a producer of the entertainment show called "Main Floor," a job she held for five years!
She also spent a year producing for Paramount's "Real TV." Jill married Dean Panaro, a four-time NCAA Champion diver. They have one daughter together, Presley Kate Panaro, who was born in 2004.
Shannon Spake
Most will recognize Shannon Spake for her contribution to Fox Sports, where she is in charge of all anchor duties for the"NASCAR Cup Series" - as well as "NASCAR Series" races and pre-race shows. Spake was also a college basketball and football reporter for Fox Sports.
In the past, she worked for ESPN, where she worked on SportsCenter and contributed as a sideline reporter for SEC on ESPN basketball. In 2017, Shannon got the unique experience of voicing Shanon Spokes in Pixar's "Cars 3!"
Melissa Stark
Melissa Stark is a television personality and sportscaster; you may recognize her from her three-year term as a sideline reporter for "Monday Night Football." Melissa began her career as a news intern working on the assignment desk at WMAR-TV in Baltimore way back in 1991.
She moved up and became a news intern for "CBS Evening News," where she wrote scripts and put together background information on investigative pieces for the network's health correspondent, Dr. Bob Arnot. Currently, she works as a reporter for the NFL Network.
Holly Rowe
Holly Rowe has made a name for herself and is one of the most well-known sports journalists today. She has been working for ESPN since 1998 and has the unique ability to move gracefully between sports and roles, integrating her work as a play-by-play broadcaster.
Rowe is one tough cookie; in 2016, she covered both the men's and women's NCAA tournaments just one month after cancer surgery. Under how blouse, she had plastic tubes stitched into her incision to drain fluid. That's an MVP right there!
Jayne Kennedy
This sports broadcaster is also an actress and a model. She has appeared in television and movies, winning an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in the film “Body and Soul.”
She got into sports news before women were generally invited. In fact, in 1978, she was the first female network correspondent on sports programming when she joined CBS’s “NFL Today.” Kennedy won an Emmy Award in 1978 for her work reporting at the 1977 Rose Bowl Parade.
Rebecca Grant
Rebecca Grant became a correspondent for ESPN and Fox Sports World to cover international soccer. She got her foot in the door in sports broadcasting as a sports personality with the Buffalo Bills organization on the Empire Sports Network.
As a sideline correspondent for international soccer, she was noticed by Fox and won a co-hosting position on “NFL Under the Helmet.”
Ines Sainz
Born and raised in Mexico City, Ines Sainz is a Spanish-language sports reporter for "Azteca Deportes." She is also a model and is known for her spicy personality.
She was the fifth sexiest woman sports reporter in the world, according to FHM in 2009. She has interviewed top players like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Cristiano Ronaldo. She is also a sports reality show host.
Holly Sonders
Holly Sonders is a college athlete from Michigan State, where she played golf. She was 21 when she landed her first sports television job on the Golf Channel. Fox Sports recruited her next, and she made a splash in golfing circles with her very feminine treatment of coverage on the greens.
Her personal coverage is often sparse, and it’s appreciated, especially on her Instagram page, where she has generated a 572K following modeling for fans.
Mieke Buchan
Hailing from Australia, Mieke Buchan has covered world sporting events like the Olympics, The U.S. Open Tennis, Formula One, and the Super Bowl. Buchan studied communications at the University of Technology, Sydney, where she earned her bachelor’s degree.
At the Australian University Games, she competed in netball. In 2003 she relocated to Los Angeles to cover major sporting events for ESPN, ABC, Fox Sports Net, and the Tennis Channel. In 2013, the sports reporter delved into celebrity interviews. On the release of “Thor: The Dark World,” she interviewed Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth.
Doris Burke
Doris Burke is an ESPN sports reporter and a sports analyst for “NBA on ESPN” and “NBA on ABC.” She covers college basketball on ABC and ESPN. Burke was the first female sportscaster to call New York Knicks games. As an athlete at Providence College, she played point guard for four years.
Leading the team in assists, she graduated with the all-time record. In 2013, she debuted at ESPN as a co-host on “NBA Countdown.” By 2017, became the first woman at the national level to be assigned a full-time role as an NBA game analyst for ESPN.
Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm graduated from Notre Dame in 1983 and went on to pioneer the role of women in sports broadcasting. She has an award-winning and celebrated career as a journalist and as an author. Storm was the first-ever female host of CNN’s “Sports Tonight.”
She covered major sporting events like the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the Super Bowl, and the Rose Parade. She is the anchor at “SportsCenter on the Road” and other ESPN primetime specials. Amongst her awards, she has won the 2000 Gracie Award for Pioneering work as a female in sports news.
Laura McKeeman
Laura McKeeman’s first sports reporting job was in Tampa Bay as a sideline reporter for the Rays. She moved to San Diego and reported from the sidelines at Petco Park for the San Diego Padres for Fox Sports.
McKeeman originally broke into a career as a sports journalist with ESPN on the network’s SEC Network in 2014. She holds Miss Florida's 2012 beauty pageant title. The sports reporter is married to MLB player Josh Rutledge.
Erin Sharoni
Born and raised in NYC, Erin Sharoni is not just an athlete but also an accomplished artist, U.S. Jr. Olympic-certified coach, personal trainer, and fitness expert. She graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Studio Art.
She worked in finance before becoming a sports personality as a correspondent on “Jim Rome on Showtime” and as a co-host and sideline reporter for “CNBC Sports Biz: Game On.” Sharoni made her sports broadcasting debut as a sideline reporter for St. John’s basketball with SportsNet New York. The media personality has also made inroads in showbiz with two acting roles.
Lindsay Czarniak
Lindsay Czarniak grew up an athlete and a sports fan in Pennsylvania. Her father worked in sports for a local newspaper and influenced her. She graduated from James Madison University with a degree in online journalism in 2000. Getting her foot in the door at CNN, she soon became a sports reporter and anchor at Fox Sports.
Currently, she is a sideline reporter for NFL games and a pit correspondent for NASCAR. Czarniak covered the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for NBC Sports and the TNT NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. And, at ESPN, she was a “SportsCenter” anchor.
Nicole Zaloumis
After graduating from the University of San Francisco in 2003, Nicole Zaloumis worked at NFL Network. As the weekend sports anchor at WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., she also hosted a weekly sports show covering the Washington Redskins.
Zaloumis was a daily sports anchor at the Big Ten Network with Comcast SportsNet New England. The anchor hosted “Fox Sports Live” on Fox Sports 1. She also did work on SiriusXM radio as co-host of “Left Coast Live” on Mad Dog Sports Radio.
Erin Bates
Erin Bates is a Canadian-born motocross and supercross reporter. She started her career in racing as a trophy girl in the International Freestyle Motocross Association. She went on to join SPEED TV as a pit reporter.
She is a broadcaster, a TV host, a model, and a spokeswoman. Bates is a former Miss FMX. She is also an actress in the motocross movies “Supercross” and “1000cc Raw Thrill.”
Phyllis George
Phyllis George was crowned Miss Texas and Miss America before pioneering the role of women in sports media. She was hired by CBS on “The NFL Today,” becoming one of the first women to appear on air in sports broadcasting.
Her work at CBS Sports led to a “CBS Morning News” anchor position. In 1979, George became First Lady of Kentucky after marrying Kentucky Fried Chicken owner John Y. Brown Jr. She was also an entrepreneur who founded two companies and is a published author.
Charissa Thompson
Charissa Thompson has hosted “Fox Sports Live,” ESPN’s “Sports Nation,” and the Netflix reality program “Ultimate Beastmaster.” Outside of sports, she co-hosted the showbiz news program “Extra.”
After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara, she was a sideline reporter for college basketball and football for Fox Sports Net. Eventually, she rose to become an NFL sideline reporter on “NFL on Fox.” Thompson was a presenter at “Fox NFL Kickoff” and host of “NFL Films Presents” on Fox.
Pam Oliver
Recognized for her NBA and NFL sideline reporting, Pamela Oliver hails from Texas and graduated from Florida A&M University. She excelled at track in high school and college, and with a love of sports, she chose a career in sports broadcasting.
Oliver’s first position in 1985 as a news reporter was at WALB in Albany, Georgia. She moved up to sports anchor with KHOU-TV in Houston. From there, she landed sideline reporting work with ESPN and Fox Sports, corresponding with big-time NFL sportscasting team Pat Summerall and John Madden. In 2004, Oliver was awarded “Outstanding Woman in Journalism.”
Josina Anderson
Longtime ESPN sports broadcaster Josina Anderson was a frequent face on some of the network’s biggest sports programs. Her coverage included “Sunday NFL Countdown,” “NFL Live,” and “SportsCenter.” She got her foot in the door with a local Fox television outlet in Denver.
The Emmy Award-winning journalist was the first woman to be hired by ESPN for “NFL Insider.” According to Anderson, “I am the top NFL female insider in the country in terms of covering news over 32 teams consistently.”
Kelly Nash
Kelly Nash holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Miami. As a sports reporter, she covers MLB and NHL. Landing a position at MLB Network, she co-hosts “The Rundown.”
She is also a reporter for NHL Network. Like many sports reporters, Nash is exceptionally attractive and does modeling as well. She runs a podcast and has built an 81.1K following on Instagram.
Molly McGrath
Bay Area-born Molly McGrath graduated from Boston College, where she was cheerleading captain. It was there she first dabbled in sports media. ESPN hired her after graduation, but first, she was a web-based reporter for the Boston Celtics.
Her work with the Celtics landed her a Fox Sports update anchor. She became a sideline reporter for Fox College Football and Basketball. ESPN lured her back as a college football and basketball reporter. She covered bowl games and Big Ten events. McGrath appears on “ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime,” covering two games per week.
Sarah Spain
Athlete and sports reporter Sarah Spain played track at Cornell University and graduated with a degree in English. She worked as a reporter for Fox Sports Net and WGN in Chicago as well as the Big Ten Network. In 2010, ESPN brought her on board, and she appeared on many sports shows.
Spain is a columnist at espnw.com, an ESPN host for radio and television, and a “SportsCenter” contributor. She was in “More Than Mean,” a short video raising awareness about the "me too" movement, and it won a 2016 Peabody Award.
Rachel Nichols
Rachel Nichols graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1995. She is a sports reporter and an anchor for ESPN. She has her own show called “The Jump,” covering news and stories from the NBA and hosting a panel of NBA athletes.
Nichols has several accolades and was widely appreciated for taking a tough round of questioning to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. ESPN praised her as “the country’s most impactful and prominent female sports journalist.” “Esquire,” “Hollywood Reporter,” and “Sports Illustrated” have all featured her prominent position in the sports media industry.
Georgie Thompson
Born in Harlow, Essex, England, Georgie Thompson studied broadcast journalism at the University of Leeds. Landing a job at British sports networks, she went on to cover the A1 Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Masters, the Speedway World Cup, the America’s Cup, and the 2011 Wimbledon Championships.
On Comcast’s British program “Sky Sports News,” she served as a presenter. She went to Fox Sports in 2013 as a panelist on Regis Philbin’s show “Crowd Goes Wild.”
Kristen Berset
Kristen Berset was born and raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in telecommunications. She was crowned Miss Florida USA in 2004 and finished as a semi-finalist in the Miss USA competition.
She worked as a news anchor on WJHG in Panama City and co-hosted fishing competitions on the “Professional Tarpon Tournament Series.” In 2017, Berset was awarded the Ted Yates Award “Profile of Courage” award for journalists who have shown bravery on the job after surviving cancer. Today she is a sports anchor and host of Great Day Washington on WUSA 9.
Sam Ryan
American sports reporter Sam Ryan is a sports anchor at WABC-TV in New York, the weekend “Eyewitness News” program. She graduated from Hofstra University in communications and started on the radio with ABC.
The Emmy Award-winning local broadcaster was hired at ESPN in 2003 and CBS Sports in 2006. By 2011, she joined MLB Network as a host and reporter. With MLB Network, she was on “The Rundown,” “Quick Pitch,” and “provided on-air reports from the field.
Natasha Staniszewski
Canadian sports reporter Natasha Staniszewski was raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and grew up a strong athlete in basketball and volleyball. At the University of Alberta, she earned a business degree but chose a career in broadcast journalism.
She is known for being an anchor on “SportsCentre,” Canada’s TSN sports channel. She climbed the ladder to CTV, reporting on CTV Yorkton in Saskatchewan. She covered the Edmonton Oilers in 2009 and the Grey Cup in 2010. She was with TSN until 2021.
Kirsty Gallacher
“Sky Sports News” host Kirsty Gallacher is a television personality and a model. She is the daughter of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher and hails from Scotland. She hosted “Kirsty’s Home Videos” on Sky1 from 2000 to 2004. She’s known for presenting “Gladiators” on Sky1 and “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.”
Gallacher also hosted the morning show “RI: SE.” In 2008, she won the third series of the reality television series competition, “The Games,” and in 2006, she hosted the BBC reality show “Only Fools on Horses.”
Katie Nolan
Katie Nolan is a television and media personality from Boston. She hosts an ESPN podcast each week called “Sports? With Katie Nolan.” Nolan won a Sports Emmy in 2016 for another show called “Garbage Time with Katie Nolan” on Fox Sports.
In 2019 and 2020, she was nominated for two more Emmys for her ESPN show “Always Late.” She hosted for NFL Films in 2016. Moving to ESPN in 2017, Nolan hosted “SportsCenter on Snapchat.” The media personality has appeared on comedy shows like “Drunk History” and “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.”
Michelle Beadle
Michelle Beadle is a sports television host and sideline reporter. She is known for her work at ESPN, CBS, and ABC. She has also worked for the subscription Yankees YES Network in New York.
Beadle was born in Italy and raised in Texas. She is the daughter of a former oil executive. She has done sideline entertainment reporting for various red-carpet events. She is best known for co-hosting “SportsNation” and ESPN2 and hosting “Winners Bracket” on ABC.
Bonnie Bernstein
The American Sportscaster Association has named Bonnie Bernstein one of the most accomplished female sports reporters in history. Born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, Bernstein went on to graduate magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, earning a broadcast journalism degree. She was a four-time All-American in gymnastics.
Working at sports desks in Maryland and Delaware, she became the first female sports anchor in Reno at NBC’s affiliate station. At ESPN, she covered Michael Jordan as the Chicago Bureau Chief. She ghosted many high-profile shows like “The Dan Patrick Show,” “Jim Rome Is Burning,” and “NFL Live.”
Ashley Russell
Sportscaster and media personality Ashley Russell has been featured on the cover of many magazines, including “Men’s Fitness,” “Southern Living,” and “Premiere Bride.” She is a sports broadcaster for Yahoo! and has appeared on the Big Ten Network.
She is featured on “Yahoo! Sports Minute” and hosts Rivals.com, an online sports news site. Russell formerly owned and presided over a prominent model and talent agency in Nashville called AMAX.
Robin Roberts
Inducted in 2016, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Robin Roberts was a college athlete with a strong passion for sports before she became a sports broadcaster at ESPN. Highlights include anchoring “SportsCenter” and covering major sporting events.
She covered the Original Dream Team at the 1992 Olympic Games. Roberts boasts covering Wimbledon, a personal goal achieved. Additionally, she reported from the Women’s Soccer Team’s 1999 World Cup Victory. In 2002 she was promoted to ABC’s “Good Morning America” while remaining at ESPN.
Leeann Tweeden
Television host and sports broadcaster Leeann Tweeden has anchored “McIntyre in the Morning” on KABC talk radio in Los Angeles. After winning first place in the Venues International model search, she was on the cover of “Playboy.” As well as “Fitness Beach.”
She was a correspondent for Fox Sports. She reported pre-and post-game coverage of the Los Angeles Angels on Fox Sports West. She also covered mixed martial arts on “UFC Tonight.”
Charlie Webster
Not to be confused with the footballer of the same name, this Charlie Webster has etched a name for herself in the sector of sports reporting. If you are a big fan of European football, then you will probably have seen her around. From a young age, Webster participated in athletics. Thus, her interest in sports goes back to her youth. This Sheffield-born reporter studied Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University.
Later, she worked as a model and fitness instructor. Webster made a name as a sports presenter on Real Madrid TV. Not just a pretty face, Webster has been in the sports presenting industry for more than 15 years covering a range of sports. The sports presenter has endless talents as she now produces her own podcasts and documentaries.
Charlotte Jackson
Here we have another sports journalist, Charlotte Jackson, who hails from the United Kingdom. Born in Portsmouth, Charlotte Louise Jackson from a young age showed an interest in sport. If you are a fan of lacrosse, you might recognize her mother’s name as her mother played for the national team. Like many of the names on this list, Jackson is also a model. However, where Jackson has truly made her mark is in sports reporting.
Jackson had to slowly make her way into sports reporting. Initially, she covered smaller sporting events such as the BetFred League of Legends Dart Tournament. Her most notable broadcasting role was as a sports reporter for Sky Sports. You might also remember her for hosting the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year.
Suzy Kolber
For those of you who are a bit older, you might remember the name Suzy Kolber as she is a veteran sideline reporter. In fact, she goes all the way back to 1993, when ESPN2 was launched. Kolber was one of the founders. Sadly, she did not remain at ESPN but went on to join Fox Sports three years later. Yet, Kolber’s loyalty to ESPN was apparent as she was reunited with the sports channel in 1999 where she remained until 2012.
This sports reporter grew up in Philadelphia and studied Telecommunications at the University of Miami. Kolber mainly covers NFL events but has also reported on horse-racing events. Kolber, excuse the pun, is not a one-trick pony, because she has even covered a live excavation in Egypt.
Wendy Nix
Some individuals were destined for a life dedicated to sports. Wendy Nix is one such individual who lives and breathes sports. From her high school days, Nix was a member of Socastee High School’s track team and was a cheerleader. Though Nix is fiercely loyal to her native state, South Carolina, she did her tertiary education in New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Her career as a sports reporter is mainly dedicated to covering NFL and College Football matches. Nix worked in Boston as a sports anchor and an independent television broadcaster, but she later worked for Fox Sports and ESPN. As mentioned, Nix is devoted to South Carolina. She supports her local college football team, Watford College. She was also previously married to the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ben Cherington.
Stacey Dales
While most of you might know Stacey Dales as a sideline reporter for NFL games for ESPN, Dales’ career in the sporting industry was as a basketball player. Both in secondary school and high school, Dales played for her school basketball teams as a forward. During her high school days, she dazzled on the court. In 1997, Dales attended the University of Oklahoma and at college-level basketball, it soon became clear that Dales was destined for big things.
She made appearances at the Olympics against Canada on the USA’s first team. Later, she was signed on by the Washington Mystics and then Chicago Sky. In 2007, she achieved high rankings in the WNBA. While she initially served as an analyst for college basketball, she now does reporting for the NFL.
Malika Andrews
As Malika Rose Andrews was only born in 1995, she is one of the newest editions to the world of sports reporting. At the University of Portland, Andrews studied Communications and she first worked for the New York Times. Andrews comes from a sporting background. Her father is a personal trainer and in 2021 her sister, Kendra Andrews became an ESPN reporter for the Golden State Warriors. Like her sister, Andrews is a staunch supporter of this NBA team.
Since completing her studies, Andrews has slowly been making her way up. She worked for the Chicago Tribune and New York Times. It seems that her hard work has definitely paid off. She became one of the first reporters to enter the multi-purpose, mega-sports complex, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Jenny Taft
To be a sports reporter your heart has to be in it. Jenny Taft is no exception. This Minnesota-born sports reporter studied at Boston University where she played Lacrosse. During that time, she studied Broadcast Journalism which she completed in 2010. Taft first emerged in sports reporting with Fox Sports North. As Taft hails from Minnesota, it is to be expected that she would work for their Northern branch.
She covered the WNBA team, Minnesota Lynx, but also covered baseball, hockey, and NBA events in the state. Taft eventually earned a position on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) where she reported on big events like the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup giving updates about the US Women’s national soccer team. It is not surprising she married a sportsman in 2015.
Hayley Elwood
This reporter with her glowing personality, enthusiasm for sports, and dazzling smile brings much to every Los Angeles Chargers game. The only person who might not celebrate this is her father as he is a staunch Green Bay Packers fan. That being said, it cannot be too disappointing for Elwood’s old man as it was he who helped her to originally get into the sport by making Sunday Packer games a big thing.
Now, Elwood is a regular at the Los Angeles Chargers where she covers the team’s games. She also has covered numerous NFL games including the Super Bowl and Draft. This reporter attended the University of San Diego and studied for a degree in Communications. Previously, she worked as a contributing writer, but now her work is mainly on-camera.
Ilaria D’Amico
If you love European football, especially Italian football, then you might have heard of the lovely Ilaria D’Amico. Do not be fooled by her beautiful appearance, D’Amico has made a name for herself as a sports commentator and reporter. This Italian sports reporter was born in Rome in 1973. For several years, she worked on Italian Sky Sport, where she delivered coverage and commentary on football.
However, in 2018, she left the sports channel. It is quite obvious that D’Amico loves football. She is currently linked to the former Juventus and Italian national team goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. The two got engaged in 2017 and had a son the following year. We’re sure that we will hear wedding bells soon with these two as the two have been together since 2014.
Tina Cervasio
This sports reporter hails from Nutley, New Jersey. Tina Cervasio obtained her degree in 1996 from the University of Maryland. Then, she became a sideline reporter, mainly covering College Football and College Basketball. If you are a fan of the New York Red Bulls, you probably noticed her hosting during pregame and half-time and as the host of the show “Red Bulls Insider.”
Her career has taken her to reporting with Fox and TNT and to covering a number of different sports including baseball, basketball, and football. In 2007, she joined NESN where she covered the Boston Red Sox World Championship. Though she now works as a freelancer, Cervasio has made her name in the world of sports as has won seven Emmy Awards for her New York Knicks Broadcasts.
Ros Gold-Onwude
Only recently has this individual made a transition from being on the basketball court to being on the sidelines. Born Rosalyn Fatima Gold-Onwude, this once basketball player is better known as Ros-Gold Onwude. Though she was born in Queens, New York, Gold-Onwude climbed the ranks to play for the Nigerian national team as a point guard. Her career in basketball started in college for Stanford’s female team where she played for five years.
At the same time, Gold-Onwude was studying for a degree in communication, making her a perfect sideline reporter after she decided to quit the basketball court. Naturally, Gold-Onwude’s sports reporting career has taken her back to basketball where she provides coverage on the Golden State Warriors. A big moment for this reporter was during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Jules Breach
Here we return to Europe. If you are a fan of football, Jules Breach might be a familiar face. If you are a supporter of the English national football team, Breach might be a face that you might not want to remember, following her taunting of English commentators and ex-players at the 2021 Euros final.
Breach has a complicated background. She was born in Brighton, England, lived in Mauritius, then moved to Jamaica, and returned to Brighton. In Jamaica, she started playing tennis which initiated her love of sports. While Breach is most known for her coverage of English football on ITV, she has also covered cricket events such as the Women’s Ashes. Breach is a familiar face in English sport, especially after the 2020 Euros final.
Kim Jones
Some sports reporters have proof that they are one of the best in the business. Kim Jones is one of those sports reporters who have such proof that she has a career spanning two decades of sports reporting. Jones was born in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. She attended Pennsylvania State University where she obtained a degree in Journalism. However, her education did not end there.
Jones also did her Master’s in Science, specializing in Exercise and Sports, meaning that she definitely knows what she is talking about on the pitch. Speaking of the pitch, Jones became the clubhouse reporter for the New York Yankees covering baseball team’s games. Later in her career, she began reporting for NFL games. Without a doubt, Jones has a vast knowledge of both baseball and football.
Cara Capuano
Here we have another sports commentator who has a range of talents, proving that sports reporting is not only about beauty but intelligence too. You might know the name Cara Capuano as an ESPN anchor on ESPNU and Fox Sports. During her time at Fox Sports, Capuano often did sideline reporting at NFL events. However, before her career in sports broadcasting, Capuano attended the University of California and studied cell biology and biochemistry.
She graduated from the university in 1995. Interestingly, Capuano was pursuing her doctorate at UCLA, but had a change of heart, and decided to go into of all things, sports broadcasting. As seen, Capuano has done quite well for herself as she has featured in sideline reporting for the NFL and worked as a color analyst.
Alex Flanagan
If you love every kind of sport, then you are probably familiar with the name Alex Flanagan. She is certainly one of the reporters who has the most experience. She has done sideline reporting for most of the big sports broadcasting channels including NBC, Fox, ESPN, and the NFL network. While she was at the University of Arizona, Flanagan demonstrated great initiative and began working as an intern at KVOA-TV which was a subsidiary of NBC.
Her major breakthrough came in 1998 when she landed a job working for Fox Sports. She then joined ESPN in 2001, where she won an award as a sideline reporter for College Football. Just three years later, Flanagan received the Sports Emmy Award. She is currently married to Kevin Flanagan, a basketball player.
Michele Tafoya
With a career in sports reporting beginning in 1993 and ending in 2022, Michele Tafoya was just one year shy of having thirty years in the business of sports reporting. On January 11, 2022, Tafoya finally called it quits. However, she went out with a bang, as she departed from NBC after reporting on the Super Bowl.
Tafoya, who is of Hispanic descent, was born in California. She studied mass communications at the University of California, but, interestingly, did her Master’s in business administration. She first started coverage of the football team, Minnesota Vikings, but over the years she covered everything from football to tennis to basketball. Throughout her career, she received five Sports Emmy Awards. When January 11, 2022 finally came it was a sad day for sports broadcasting.
Cheryl Miller
You are more likely to know this name from being inside the basketball court than from its sidelines, but the legendary Cheryl Miller did serve as a sideline reporter for a short time. Cheryl Miller comes from a family oozing talent in sports. Her brother, Reggie Miller, played for the Indiana Pacers.
Cheryl Miller made her sporting family proud when she joined the college basketball team, the USC Trojans football. Miller served as a forward on the team and brought her team crucial victories allowing them to win the NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984. Later, she also played for the USA National Women’s Basketball Team. Years later, she took to coaching, but for a short period, she became a sideline reporter for basketball games on TNT Sports and NBA TV.
Andrea Kremer
This sports journalist and reporter has quite an interesting background. Although she made history with fellow sports reporter Hannah Storm by becoming the first all-women’s booth to provide coverage on men’s sports, Kremer’s educational background is not in sports. In fact, it is in ballet. During her university days, Kremer became a ballerina and had performances at the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company.
Then, her career seemingly took quite a turn as she joined Pennsylvania’s largest weekly newspaper, “Main Line Chronicle” as a sports editor. From there, Kremer has only gone from strength to strength as she covered major sporting events such as the 2008 Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics, and the Super Bowl in February 2009. In 2018, she joined Storm to become the all-women team calling on an NFL game.
Lisa Salters
This journalist’s entry into the world of sports broadcasting was not through sports or sports broadcasting, but through mainstream journalism. Salters was one of the reporters working for WBAL-TV based in Baltimore that covered the O.J. Simpson Trial. Only in 2000, Salters joined ESPN. She worked in both the roles of co-producer and sideline reporter on “Monday Night Football.” Eight years later, she received a nomination for a Sports Emmy Award.
With ESPN, she also covered major sporting events such as the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2004 Olympic Games. In fact, during the former event, Salters made a bit of a boo-boo, by letting slip the US National Team’s starting line-up. Salters has been forgiven and become the full-time solo reporter for “Monday Night Football.”
Jane Slater
For over a decade, Jane Slater has caught the eye of the camera. Not only because of her brilliant smile and on-screen poise, but for her excellent reporting, Slater has made a name for herself in sideline reporting. Slater is a native of Texas so it goes without saying that she will cover Dallas Cowboys matches. Sometimes, however, her work takes her to cover NFL games of the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans.
Though Slater has been a steady reporter for more than a decade, she had to work her way up with a lot of hard work. First, she did a double major which she obtained in 2004. Later, she had to make appearances with local television stations. During these appearances, the NFL finally noticed Slater.