Overview
- ESPN confirmed that Molly McGrath will leave college football to serve as the sideline reporter for the NFL Network package and as the primary fill-in host for Laura Rutledge on NFL Live.
- The NFL Network slate McGrath will work includes seven regular-season games where Dave Pasch is expected to handle lead play-by-play and color analyst spots have not yet been announced.
- McGrath’s move, which was confirmed Friday, is one of several staffing shifts driven by Disney/ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and the subsequent absorption of contracts.
- Fans reacted on social media with disappointment at her departure from college football, a change that could alter viewer familiarity on Saturday broadcasts and create pressure on her replacement.
- McGrath brings more than a decade of experience at ESPN, and her new role positions her for increased visibility during ESPN’s expanded NFL coverage, including the network’s first Super Bowl window next season.