As Jenny Taft walked the hallways during her first year at FOX Sports 1, she was stopped by a network executive and asked whether she knew anything about motorcycle racing. Surprised at the question, she was prepared and replied that Ricky Carmichael, an accomplished driver, was the greatest of all time. It was the extent of Taft’s motoracing knowledge, which derived from her brother having a poster of Carmichael when he was younger. Through that precipitous meeting, she was given her first field assignment with the network at a Supercross event – and she needed to prepare quickly.
The assignment ended up going well, with Taft estimating that typical motorcycle racing events could put reporters on the air 20 times per race because of the deluge of action that takes place. It ended up being an ideal pit stop where she refined her craft and developed a strong sense of versatility.
“I became a much better interviewer because there were so many interviews to conduct in a sport that I wasn’t comfortable with,” Taft said. “I’d like to think I earned the respect of the fanbase that, at first, was concerned about someone who did not have a moto background, and I absolutely loved it.”
Taft knew of the stakes associated with this performance and ended up succeeding with flying colors. After all, she had grown up in an athletic family – her mother competed in speed skating and her father captained the 1976 U.S. Olympic hockey team, leading to a six-year National Hockey League career. She understood what it meant to survive competing as an individual and on a team; in fact, Taft was named the top female lacrosse player in Minnesota and lettered in the sport, along with hockey and tennis.
“I was confident because of sports,” Taft said. “I played against boys my whole life – that gave me a lot of confidence – and I hope that [my daughter] sees me working in this capacity and that inspires her one day. I always knew my life would revolve around sports in some way because it just brings people together, and what’s better than that?”
As a student, Taft interned at a variety of media outlets including FOX Sports North, a regional sports network in Minneapolis. She had volunteered with the network while in high school, helping to operate a game at its state fair booth called, “Do you want to be a sportscaster?” Ironically enough, Taft was the person who so fervently wanted to achieve that goal – and she ultimately made it back to the network in college where she shadowed reporter and host Marney Gellner.
During baseball season, Taft was the in-stadium host for the Minnesota Twins and took on a similar role with the Wild. As her profile grew in the area, Taft appeared weekly on KFAN with Paul Allen to discuss local hockey. For Taft, the formative years were all about chances at gaining the necessary repetitions to improve her technique, and broadcasting to a captive audience at a sporting event is practice she recommends to aspiring broadcasters.
Eventually, Taft was asked by FOX Sports North to fill in as a sideline reporter with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, and everyone knew she would take full advantage of the opportunity. Simply by being around and recognizing that no broadcast property was too small to pass up, Taft became a dependable personality who exuded enthusiasm and professionalism on a daily basis. Network management began to take notice, leading to her being asked to join FOX Sports 1 upon its launch in August 2013 giving sports updates.
“I believe it’s really about being a good teammate,” Taft said. “I think that just working hard is going to help, and people want to work with good people. Get in the door; do your job; pay your dues and it’ll work out.”
By stepping out of the studio and appearing on broadcasts of motorcycle racing, Taft impressed executives and viewers of the network. Little did she know that it would lead to the assignment of a lifetime, emanating from a meeting with executive producer David Neal regarding the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
“He knew I was an athlete in college, and he was looking for a female to cover the women in 2015,” Taft remembered. “He said, ‘I saw you can tell stories. I liked how you did it, and I want a woman to be with this group,’ so it was pretty wild to think that covering motocross actually gave me so much exposure within the company.”
By the time the tournament came around, Taft was more comfortable with field reporting, especially considering she began reporting on college football in the year prior. In this role, she has ostensible free rein to roam the sidelines, outside of the bench, in order to view the game and gather information. When a player leaves the game with an injury, she can approach the trainer and ask what is going on to then relay it to the viewers. Moreover, she is able to make distinct observations that guide her in interviewing and contributing to the broadcast coverage.
“I always find that the best sideline reports are what’s happening in the moment,” Taft said. “I always want to have the background. I’d say 80% of the research I have or prep for a game is never used, and that’s just how it is. As a sideline reporter, you’re kind of used to that, but you have to be ready for the moment where you might need that information.”
Prior to the 2017 season, Taft was elevated to lead sideline reporter and joined the FOX’s Big Noon Saturday team of Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt. Over their seven years working together at Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 stadiums, they have fostered a familiarity with one another, producer Chuck McDonald and director Rich Dewey. The cohesion and longevity with the group excites Taft for the upcoming season, which includes the start of a new seven-year pact with the Big Ten.
“I’d like to think that our broadcast is very welcoming and we’re all just friends watching a game that we love and cheering on players and coaches,” Taft said. “Gus is having the time of his life and Joel is giving all the knowledge because he is the best of the best in terms of how much he’s taught me over the years. I would like to think that we’re just becoming a group that people want to listen to; that Big Noon is a broadcast that you look forward to watching and listening to no matter who’s playing.”
Being able to report on the Big Ten holds a special meaning for Taft, who grew up attending games at the University of Wisconsin, her parents’ alma mater. Growing up in Minnesota, she was frequently around fans of the Golden Gophers and watched the team play, but Camp Randall Stadium in particular was a special place to her. While she is excited as a fan to see the conference add Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA, she knows that the implications of these decisions could be felt in the years that ensue.
“I just think about the athletes and I just want to make sure they’re always protected and they’re going to be supported because those changes impact their four years,” Taft said. “When it comes to those conferences – and obviously those decisions are so far above my head – but I’m going to do my best to continue talking about the players and the schools that I love and telling their stories because that’s what this is ultimately all about.”
Leading up to a typical broadcast, Taft coordinates with university officials and team personnel to schedule interviews, preferably in-person, with the players leading up to the broadcast. Unlike the NFL, where players are obliged to speak with members of the media as part of the league’s policies, college football does not guarantee her access to anyone.
“You do the prep, but then you just have to play and let it play out,” Taft said. “I love that part of the energy of the moment, and those relationships that you’ve built along the way, hopefully they pay off so that you get some good interviews after the game.”
The atmosphere of college football games energizes Taft, but it is something she needs to contend with in order to elicit insightful and derivative answers from her interview subjects. The loud roar of the crowd, euphonious sound of the marching band and palpable buzz reverberating around the prodigious structure is quite the scene-setter. It is up to sideline reporters like Taft to cut through these hallowed overtones so they can do their jobs while recognizing that there are times to simply revel in the moment.
Taft has been involved in FOX Sports’ World Cup coverage from the beginning of its media rights agreement with FIFA in 2015. Over the five tournaments she has covered – three women’s; two men’s – she has traveled to many countries around the world and seen the evolution of superstars. The U.S. Women’s National Team in particular has been the focus of her coverage of late, including during the team’s tournament wins in 2015 and 2019. In 2023 though, the team was eliminated during the group stage after falling short in penalty kicks against Sweden. It was a stunning defeat for the group, marking the end of Megan Rapinoe’s professional career and leading to the resignation of head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
“I just have had such strong relationships and seen the growth and how hard they’ve worked, so I always thought they’d figure it out,” Taft said, “and that’s what made the case all the more devastating and seeing Julie Ertz in tears. Get this: I have never interviewed the U.S. Women’s National Team after a loss until that match.”
Having congenial, yet professional relationships with members of the team can cause some people to question Taft’s objectivity. As a reporter for FOX Sports, she has had priority in terms of asking questions and conducting interviews because the network is the rightsholder for U.S. Soccer. Even so, she makes it a point to ask the most pertinent and relevant questions that will best serve the audience.
“It kind of always comes back to the relationships for me, and that’s where you’ve got to ask the question,” Taft said. “It’s just how you ask it that I am very conscious of.”
Taft, however, was working in a box – literally speaking. On the pitch itself, there was a box designated for Taft, with other reporters lining the section in their own boxes. Per FIFA rules and regulations, reporters are not allowed to leave the box during play, nor can they capture footage during select times.
The limitations render roaming the sidelines impossible, which can make gathering intel and updates especially difficult. Although reporters help each other out, it is ultimately all about having a foundation of connections and experience to help oneself. Moreover, akin to college football, players are not obligated to talk to the news media and address the proceedings.
“The U.S., after they lost, no one needed to stop,” Taft said. “Thankfully they all did, and I’d like to think it helps that we had good relationships going into it, but no one’s requiring them to do any of those interviews.”
Most of Taft’s FOX Sports work comes on location, but there was a time when she was regularly in the studio to host the morning debate show, Undisputed. Taft worked alongside Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe for four years and anchored the program’s discussions, and is now watching the show change formats and Sharpe move on to competitor First Take from afar. While she enjoyed her time on the show, she loves possessing a front row seat at some of the world’s biggest sporting events and would miss the adrenaline if she were to be confined to the studio.
“I think there’s nothing like it in a lot of ways,” Taft said of field reporting. “I got to see [Lionel] Messi win a World Cup this year, and that’s insane.”
In order to continue being granted chances to report on college football, soccer and a variety of other sports, Taft ensures she continues having a strong belief in herself and maintains an upbeat attitude. Reflecting back on her career, she recognizes how far she has come, but is yearning for more opportunities to showcase her skills across the network’s properties.
“I would love to be staying in college football [and] becoming a reporter in the NFL as well,” Taft said. “If the opportunity presented itself, I think that’d be pretty special. I would love to be considered for more hosting roles. I kind of want to do it all.”
Charissa Thompson is someone Taft looks to for inspiration as her career continues to grow at FOX Sports. Thompson is the host of FOX NFL Kickoff and TNF Tonight, the latter of which airs on Amazon Prime Video leading up to its Thursday Night Football broadcasts. Taft does not limit herself in terms of what her future might hold and ultimately desires to continue becoming the most well-rounded sports media professional as she can.
“She’s so good at being so knowledgeable yet so approachable and makes everyone around her feel great,” Taft said of Thompson. “As a FOX colleague she’s incredible, but also as a friend.”
In hosting Undisputed and reporting at sporting events, Taft knows she is opening herself up to criticism. Over the years, she has learned to silence the critics and trust her inner circle for valuable, genuine feedback based on her on-air performance rather than other factors. She is not oblivious to what is going on in the outside world but has become better at putting her energy into the craft more so than its cavilers.
“You have to have a bit of a tough skin, and I know I’m only as good as my last broadcast,” Taft expressed. “There’s never a moment where you can skimp on the work or the research, and that’s male or female.”
Derek Futterman is an associate editor and sports media reporter for Barrett Media. Additionally, he has worked in a broad array of roles in multimedia production – including on live game broadcasts and audiovisual platforms – and in digital content development and management. He previously interned for Paramount within Showtime Networks, wrote for the Long Island Herald and served as lead sports producer at NY2C. To get in touch, email Derek@BarrettMedia.com or find him on X @derekfutterman.
