Michael Smith has departed the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter (aka SC6). This move comes after his co-host Jemele Hill left to join ESPN’s The Undefeated. Their version of ESPN’s flagship program launched as an extension of their show His & Hers. It was initially designed to be more tailored to their personalities, but evolved into a more traditional SportsCenter. It was no secret that this change didn’t sit well with both Smith and Hill.
Norby Williamson, ESPN Executive Vice President and Executive Editor, Studio Production released this statement:
Michael Smith will be leaving the 6 p.m. ET SportsCenter after tonight’s (Friday) edition. Michael is a talented commentator and we greatly appreciate and value his contributions and creativity. We are in the process of discussing with him potential next ESPN assignments.
Permanetn anchors for the 6 p.m. SportsCenter will be determined and announced at a later date. In the interim, the program will be hosted by a variety of anchors from the SportsCenter team.