Linda Cohn to Retire from ESPN After Historic 33-Year Career

ESPN announced that longtime SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn will retire on June 30, ending a historic 33-year run with the network.

What's Happening:

• Cohn, who has anchored more editions of SportsCenter than anyone in ESPN history, will make her final appearances on the program during the 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET editions on June 26.
• She joined ESPN in July 1992 and made her SportsCenter debut during a 2 a.m. broadcast on July 11, 1992.
• In 2016, Cohn was honored for anchoring her 5,000th edition of SportsCenter and has added more than 650 additional broadcasts since then.
• Throughout her ESPN career, Cohn served in a variety of roles, including host, reporter, commentator, interviewer, writer and play-by-play announcer.
• A former collegiate ice hockey goalie at SUNY Oswego, she was also a key contributor to ESPN’s hockey coverage, most recently as a host and reporter.
• Cohn became a familiar face beyond SportsCenter through numerous appearances in ESPN’s popular “This Is SportsCenter” commercials.
• In 2017, she was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame.
• ESPN will celebrate Cohn’s legacy with special appearances from its Connecticut studios, where she will reflect on her career and impact on sports media.
• During her farewell broadcasts, she will be joined by Kevin Negandhi, Nicole Briscoe, Treavor Scales, John Buccigross, Madelyn Burke and Phil Murphy.
• Fans can also hear more from Cohn in a recent appearance on ESPN’s This Was SportsCenter: Stories from the Set podcast, hosted by former SportsCenter anchor Rich Eisen. The episode is available on demand through the ESPN App and Disney+.

What They're Saying:

• Linda Cohn: “When I look back, I have amazing memories of the shows I hosted, the games I reported on, the athletes I met and the outstanding colleagues I got to work with. I’ve always said I was a fan first and I’ve always tried to keep that top of mind when I was doing SportsCenter or anything else. But what I’m most proud of is that my career lasted long enough for me to see little girls grow up watching SportsCenter, enter this business, and succeed in it. If my journey helped make that path a little easier for them, then that’s the achievement I’ll cherish most.”
• Burke Magnus, ESPN President, Content: “Linda Cohn is a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN. She has brought enthusiasm, personality and her love of sports to our audience for more than 30 years and her contributions to ESPN both in front of and behind the camera would make a very long list. We wish her all the best in her retirement and sincerely thank her.”

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• ESPN is launching ESPN Fan House, a new interactive engagement hub powered by Flowcode ahead of the 2026 college football season.
• The 2026 ESPYS will celebrate three extraordinary individuals whose contributions have inspired others through courage, perseverance, and service.
• Robin Roberts and Geno Auriemma are set to reunite for a special one-night-only WNBA broadcast on ESPN.
• ESPN and ABC will bring the freshly announced 2026 Patriot Games to a national audiencethrough streaming coverage and a primetime television special.