Today’s sports world is filled with talented female athletes and sports broadcasters. But what would the world look like if more sports broadcasts featured women? Rachel Nichols, who works as a studio host, sideline reporter, and reporter for ESPN, continues to ask that question and make a difference.
In a world where only 7.4% of the sports programming aired on national television is female sports, Nichols is making up for it. She recently made history as she was the first woman to call play-by-play in the booth for a major American professional sports league regular-season game. Nichols called the Minnesota Timberwolves-Phoenix Suns game on October 29, 2018.
Rachel Nichols, who grew up in nearby Wayzata, Minnesota, is a sports junkie. Nichols played competitive basketball in college, and she credits her love of the sport to her father, who was a basketball coach. Nichols graduated from the University of Minnesota with a double major in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. Today, she’s a veteran of the sports broadcasting world. She’s worked for ESPN as a sideline reporter, a studio host, and a reporter. Her work has also been featured on several ESPN shows such as “Outside the Lines” and “SportsCenter.”
Rachel Nichols’ career highlights have come from her contributions to ESPN. In 2014, Nichols became the first woman to call play-by-play for the NBA Playoffs. This year, Nichols was the first woman to call play-by-play for a regular-season game in the NBA. Her work on “SportsCenter” has also earned her recognition as a correspondent for “Monday Night Countdown,” and she also co-hosts the “NFL Live” show with host Michael Smith.
Nichols is a huge inspiration to young women who want to follow in their footsteps and be involved in sports broadcasting. She has helped pave the way for other women like herself to follow their dreams of being involved in sports broadcasting and making a difference in the world of sports. Refer to this page for more information.
Learn more about Nichols on https://www.gq.com/story/rachel-nichols-espn-interview