ESPN college football star joins NFL lineup as fans share dismay at losing favorite after $2.5bn merger

Molly McGrath is joining ESPN’s NFL roster just in time for the Super Bowl.

Popular with college football fans, she will be the sideline reporter on NFL Network’s package and take over on NFL Live when Laura Rutledge isn’t in the chair.

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“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,” she told Front Office Sports.

NFL Network came under the Disney umbrella in exchange for a 10 percent stake in ESPN, valued at around $2.5 billion.

It has seven regular-season games, with Dave Pasch tipped to be lead play-by-play broadcaster.

McGrath joined ESPN as a production assistant after graduating from Boston College.

She has been a sideline reporter and host for college football and basketball since 2016.

“Joining ESPN’s NFL coverage during its Year of the Super Bowl makes this moment even more special and fulfills a lifelong dream,” McGrath said.

“I’m grateful to ESPN for this opportunity and excited to bring the same preparation, passion, and commitment that have guided my work in college football to our NFL audience.”

College football’s loss is the NFL’s gain and there were some gutted fans voicing their sadness on social media.

“Absolutely brutal,” wrote one on X, while another added: “I’ll miss you on Saturdays.”

“Their CFB coverage is so bad, good move for McGrath,” noted a third.

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ESPN cuts on-air talent

ESPN has undergone a brutal restructure over the NFL offseason with some high-tier talent out the door.

Ryan Clark was informed of the decision to cut ties while live on the air.

Cam Newton and Tom Pelissero were later laid off in a as both ESPN and NFL Network employees went.

Super Bowl XLIII champion Clark discussed the cull on his Pivot podcast.

“Let me put this to bed — I wasn’t laid off, I was fired,” he told co-hosts Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. “They’re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended on doing. But there was no cause for it.

“So because there was no cause for it, you couldn’t just fire me, you had to wait until the layoffs so you could camouflage it and veil it.”

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ESPN has gone all-in on headline-grabbing names with Stephen A. Smith among the best-paid sports broadcasters after signing a $105 million contract over five years.

Pat McAfee is currently in talks over a contract extension that could see him earn upward of $60 million annually.

Dan Le Batard is not impressed with the new order.

“Look who emerges from the ashes getting all the money as all of the past and personalities are knocked aside in a way that’s aggressive, top-end heavy on how you’re paying people at your network because they’re the people who pay for themselves and everyone else is disposable,” he said recently.

“As people complain and are outraged by, ‘This isn’t how you do it. You don’t fire longtime personalities.’

“As people who don’t understand the business blame Pat McAfee, what a promotional item for the wrestling guy on College GameDay to emerge from all of this talk of, ‘He stole all the money’ and say, ‘I’ve got an album dropping now, I’m the biggest star in sports. Stephen A’s over there making less than me with Bill Maher trying to build out his own brand, I’m going to build it on his platform, because I’m in charge.’”