ESPN's Michelle Beadle, who said she doesn't watch NFL or college football, to leave 'Get Up' this month

Ryan Young
·Staff writer
Michelle Beadle, who said Thursday that she no longer watches NFL or college football, will be leaving ESPN’s morning show “Get Up” at the end of the month. (Getty Images)
Michelle Beadle, who said Thursday that she no longer watches NFL or college football, will be leaving ESPN’s morning show “Get Up” at the end of the month. (Getty Images)

One day after Michelle Beadle, a co-host of ESPN’s morning show “Get Up,” made some interesting comments about college football and the NFL in general, it appears her time with the show is coming to a close.

Beadle will leave “Get Up” at the end of the month and will return to host “NBA Countdown” in Los Angeles, the network announced Friday. According to USA Today, Beadle will be replaced by a rotating cast of Maria Taylor, Laura Rutledge, Jen Lada, Mina Kimes and Dianna Russini.

Her last show will be on Thursday.

Beadle will also reportedly be part of ESPN’s new postgame show this fall called, “After The Buzzer,” which will run immediately following ESPN’s NBA doubleheader coverage this season. The network will also launch “NBA Courtside,” a 15-minute pregame show from the arena on NBA game days, this fall.

The move, while likely was in the works for some time, follows her harsh comments about Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, his punishment and his lack of apology during the news conference Wednesday to Courtney Smith. Meyer later apologized via social media to Smith on Friday afternoon.

She then talked about her current relationship with football, both college and the NFL, in general, and said that she no longer watches either.

“There’s a reason why this will be the second season I don’t watch NFL and I don’t spend my Saturdays watching college football either. I believe that the sport of football has set itself up to be in a position where it shows itself in the bigger picture to not really care about women — they don’t really care about people of color, but we won’t get into that for NFL either — but as a woman I feel like a person who has been marginalized.”

“And every single one of these stories that comes out, every single time, pushes me further and further away. I realize they don’t care, but for me it’s opened up my weekends. I appreciate you for giving that to me. I don’t care anymore. I’ve lost the ability to be surprised.”

While she isn’t alone in giving up watching the sport for those reasons, it’s a strange thing for a sports anchor — especially one who hosts a sports show on the biggest sports network in the country — to proclaim right on the onset of football season.

“Get Up” will also be changing from three hours to two starting next month. “SportsCenter” will replace the third hour.

ESPN also announced Wednesday that 11 different football analysts will be joining “Get Up” this fall — likely in an effort to help boost the shows’ ratings, which have struggled since the show kicked off earlier this year.

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