A longtime SportsCenter anchor will end his tenure this summer; Scott Hanson will return to Peacock’s Olympic “Gold Zone”; Sports Emmy winners revealed; and more.
ESPN will not renew Stan Verrett’s contract
Longtime SportsCenter anchor Stan Verrett will depart the network this summer, ending a 25-year run, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday. The news comes days after the final episode of the Los Angeles-based SportsCenter Verrett has hosted since 2009.
Sources told FOS that ESPN — which declined comment — chose not to renew his contract.
Verrett spent most of his ESPN tenure anchoring the aforementioned LA-based edition of SportsCenter with Neil Everett and later Linda Cohn. ESPN announced in March that it would be ending LA-based editions of its flagship studio program, with employees offered to relocate to Bristol or take a severance package. The final episode from Los Angeles aired Monday night.
Hanson returning to “Gold Zone” for ’26 Olympics
NBC Sports announced Wednesday that NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson will return to his acclaimed role as the host of the “Gold Zone” whiparound show on Peacock for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Gold Zone debuted for the 2014 games with host Andrew Siciliano, but became much more popular during the 2024 games with the addition of Hanson and his enthusiastic reactions to ongoing events.
Hanson is also “likely” to return to his role as the host of NFL RedZone, according to Front Office Sports. NFL Media’s contract with the 53-year-old analyst expired this offseason, but talks have reportedly progressed in recent months.
Davis, Manning on top at Emmys
Fox Sports NFL and MLB voice Joe Davis won his first Sports Emmy award Tuesday night in the Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play category, with Peyton Manning taking home his second win for Event Analyst for his “Manningcast” work for ESPN.
In the studio, Ernie Johnson picked up his eighth award and Charles Barkley his sixth for their studio work on the NBA and March Madness coverage. Tracy Wolfson earned her second-straight win for sideline reporting on the NFL and March Madness, and Nick Saban was the winner for Emerging On-Air Talent.
Outstanding Live Series went to ABC’s coverage of SEC football, the first win for a college football series in 45 years. Studio show honors were awarded to ESPN’s NFL Live and College GameDay. Other awards were presented for NBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics, Fox Sports’ MLB at Rickwood Field broadcast, and NBC’s coverage of the NFL Playoffs.
Plus: GMFB, SportsCenter, Hard Knocks, Shamrock Series
— NFL Network analyst Akbar Gbajabiamila, who has departed the network’s “Good Morning Football” according to reporting last week by Mike Florio, will be replaced by Manti Te’o, per Front Office Sports. Gbajabiamila had only joined the program in 2024 after the show’s move to the Los Angeles studio. Te’o has made regular appearances on the show since last year, and also worked as a studio analyst for Netflix’s Christmas NFL doubleheader last year.
— ESPN announced on Wednesday that SportsCenter will embark on a national tour this summer, with road shows highlighting athletic sites and stories from all 50 states. The “50 States in 50 Days” series, a reprise of a series by the same name 20 years ago, will begin Friday, June 27.
— NFL Films announced Wednesday the Buffalo Bills will be featured in HBO’s annual “Hard Knocks” series, debuting Tuesday, August 5. An in-season edition featuring the NFC East will also be released in December.
— The 2026 Shamrock Series Notre Dame home football game, which will take place from Lambeau Field with Wisconsin as the opponent, has been moved to Sunday, September 6. No kickoff time was announced, but the game will air on NBC Sports. ABC typically airs a game in a primetime window on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and has rarely faced competition in that timeslot.
