The voice of Alabama football will miss at least the start of the coming season. Plus: former ESPN reporter Allison Williams has a new role in sports TV; Linda Cohn is continuing her decades-long run on SportsCenter.
Alabama’s Gold to miss at least start of season
Alabama football play-by-play voice Eli Gold will miss at least the start of the season due to health issues and will be replaced by the school’s basketball voice Chris Stewart, it was announced Wednesday. There was no timetable given for Gold’s return and it is not clear that he will be able to call games this season. In addition to filling in for Gold on football games, Stewart will also host the radio version of “The Nick Saban Show.”
Gold has been the voice of Alabama football since 1988. (Alabama PR)
Former ESPN reporter Williams joins Fox
Former ESPN sideline reporter Allison Williams is returning to the industry with Fox Sports, where she will work the sidelines on select games. Williams left ESPN last year after choosing not to comply with the company’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate over concerns that it would impact her efforts to have a second child. She gave birth last month.
Prior to leaving ESPN, Williams was of the company’s top sideline reporters, working the National Championship in January of last year. She had been with the network for ten years. (NYP 8.2)
ESPN’s Cohn extends run
ESPN announced Tuesday that it has reached a contract extension with SportsCenter and NHL “In the Crease” anchor Linda Cohn, who will continue in her current roles. Cohn, now in her 30th year with ESPN, is the longest-tenured SportsCenter anchor, having hosted the show for the first time in July 1992. (ESPN PR)
