Molly McGrath is reportedly heading to the NFL. The tenured college football reporter will make the change for the upcoming season, according to report confirmed by ESPN to Front Office Sports.
What We Know: McGrath will serve as sideline reporter for ESPN’s NFL Network game package. Additionally, she’ll be the top fill-in host on NFL Live when Laura Rutledge is unavailable. McGrath’s ESPN career began as a production assistant after she graduated from Boston College. She returned in 2016 as a sideline reporter and host for college football and basketball, most recently working alongside Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy.
What They Said: Molly McGrath (via Front Office Sports): “I’m thrilled to expand my role within ESPN’s NFL coverage and for the opportunity to showcase a broader range of skills, from sideline reporting to hosting in studio, while diving deeper into the sport at the highest level.”
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear whether McGrath will retain any college football responsibilities going forward. Despite a lighter schedule with the NFL Network’s game package under ESPN.
What It Means: This move reflects ESPN’s broader NFL push following its acquisition of NFL Network earlier this year in exchange for a 10% ESPN stake. Consequently, McGrath’s promotion signals growing internal investment in that seven-game package. For McGrath, meanwhile, it marks a career milestone during a season already billed as the Year of the Super Bowl. ESPN has not identified who will replace McGrath as part of their college football coverage.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.