Cari Champion is leaving ESPN. The rising SportsCenter anchor made the abrupt announcement on social media that she was leaving the Worldwide Leader in Sports in a statement on social media.
Champion joined ESPN from the Tennis Channel back in 2012.
“After consulting with mentors, family and friends, I have come to the decision that it’s time to leave ESPN,” Champion wrote on Twitter. “Over the past 7 years, I’ve grown from hosting First Take to having my own show on SportsCenter, and experiencing so much more in between.
“ESPN will always be apart of my legacy and I am proud to have been a part of theirs. I’m excited about the next chapter and will share soon!”
After consulting with mentors, family and friends, I have come to the decision that it’s time to leave ESPN. Over the past 7 years, I’ve grown from hosting First Take to having my own show on SportsCenter, and experiencing so much more in between.
— Cari Champion (@CariChampion) January 9, 2020
There is no word on where Champion will land next.
After joining ESPN, the 41-year-old served as the host of “First Take” and moderated debates between Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. She would later move to serve as host of “Sports Nation” before taking over the 12:00 p.m. ET SportsCenter.
Following Champion’s departure, ESPN announced that chances will be made to the noon SportsCenter slot.
“With Cari Champion’s pending departure, the noon ET SportsCenter will no longer be a bicoastal show and instead will originate completely from Bristol, Conn., with Elle Duncan and Matt Barrie helming the newly-expanded 90-minute Monday-Thursday episodes,” ESPN said in a release.
No further details related to why Champion made the decision to leave the network have been announced.
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