ESPN has signed the talented espnW writer and versatile ESPN Radio host Sarah Spain to a multiyear extension. Spain will continue in her role as a featured reporter and columnist for espnW on multiple ESPN platforms including espnW.com and ESPN TV and will co-host a new national weeknight ESPN Radio show with Israel Gutierrez, Izzy and Spain, beginning Monday, Sept. 26, from 9 – 11 p.m. ET.
Spain will remain in the regular rotation on Around the Horn, will contribute toSportsCenter and serve as a guest host on shows including His & Hers and The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, among others. Spain will continue as a co-host on espnW Presents: The Trifecta on ESPN Radio, alongside fellow espnW writers Kate Fagan and Jane McManus. Spain is also the host of the “That’s What She Said” podcast.
“I’m extremely thankful to sign on for more years with ESPN, where I’ve been given an incredible opportunity to share my voice and perspective,” said Spain. “I’m thrilled to continue working with my tremendous espnW team and the great folks in ESPN Radio and on the TV side, and I’m excited to get started with Izzy and Spain!”
“Sarah is exceptionally talented as both a writer and on-air personality and has been a vital teammate as we’ve grown espnW,” said Laura Gentile, senior vice president, espnW & Women’s Initiatives. “She has developed her skills over the past five years and accepted every opportunity presented to her. We’re thrilled she will continue to bring her voice, her insight and the W perspective to our many ESPN shows and platforms. Sarah’s a star.”
Added David Roberts, vice president, ESPN Audio network content: “Sarah is smart, and is always prepared with provocative, fact-based and memorable opinions. Without question she makes us stronger, and further underscores ESPN Radio’s commitment to providing sports fans with diverse points of view throughout the day and night.”
Spain follows Fagan, McManus and Julie Foudy as primary contributors who have re-signed with espnW. Spain has been a consistent presence across ESPN’s programming discussing, among other topics, domestic violence, gender pay equity and campus sexual assault. Spain has also made history at ESPN several times, including as the co-host of one of the first national, all-women led sports talk radio shows with espnW Presents: Spain & Prim, a weekend ESPN Radio show co-hosted with Prim Siripipat, and espnW’s The Trifectawith Fagan and McManus. In August 2016, Spain was a panelist on the first-ever all-femaleSports Reporters with Jemele Hill, Fagan and McManus. She was also part of the first all-female edition of First Take and the first all-female panel on Around the Horn.
Since joining ESPN in 2010 as a SportsCenter anchor for Chicago’s ESPN1000 station, Spain has also contributed to other programs at the company, including Mike & Mike, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Russillo & Kanell, His & Hers, Outside the Lines and Olbermann. A Chicago native, prior to joining ESPN, Spain wrote a popular sports blog on ChicagoNow.com, acted as a recurring guest-host of Chicago Now radio on WGN AM-720 and was a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune Red Eye. Spain also contributed as a sideline reporter for the Big Ten Network and hosted the Coors Light Fantasy Players Minute, an online fantasy football show.
Spain received a bachelor’s degree in English in 2002 from Cornell University, where she competed as a heptathlete and served as the co-captain of the track & field team.