Last weekend, ESPN had almost 500 people on hand in Austin, Texas. Some were there to cover the college football showdown between Texas and Georgia, and others were there to work Sunday’s Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
While Disney and ESPN maximized the synergy between their networks, there was minimal crossover for those in front of the camera given the intense demands and needs of each.
Katie George was the exception.
Saturday night, George covered the Georgia sidelines during the Bulldogs’ 30-15 statement win over the Longhorns. She followed that up on Sunday with a full day at the United States Grand Prix, hosting ESPN’s Countdown to Austin preview, interviewing drivers before the race, hosting the post-race show, and recording an episode of the Unlapped podcast.
While that might sound like a daunting, sleep-deprived schedule for some reporters, George appreciated that everything was happening in the same city, which isn’t usually the case when working double duty between F1 and college football.
“I was just very happy that ESPN decided to make it easy on me for once,” she told Awful Announcing. “I was already in town, and it made it easy for me, logistically, to be able to just go to the track to cover the race on Sunday.”
Covering a lot of ground is something George has gotten used to in her six years with ESPN. The Louisville native joined the company in 2019 after stints with Louisville’s WDRB and Fox Sports Wisconsin. Initially focused on ACC Network games, she transitioned to ESPN/ABC full-time in 2021. In all that time she’s covered a variety of sports and leagues, including college football, softball, volleyball, UFL, basketball, and lacrosse.
These days, you’re most likely to see her on a college football or NBA sideline, calling a women’s volleyball match, or hosting F1 coverage.
“I feel like I’m finally in a place where I’m covering the sports that I care about and I love,” said George.
Being in the right place at the right time is a core ingredient to any broadcasting career. George had one such moment Saturday night when her spot on the Georgia sideline meant she got first crack at Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, who not only played the “nobody gave us a chance,” card but called out “your whole network” for “doubting” them.
Kirby Smart after Georgia’s win over Texas
“Nobody gave us a chance. Your whole network doubted us. Nobody believed us. And then they tried to rob us with calls, in this place.”pic.twitter.com/XUfCKcv2id
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 20, 2024
“I thought it was fun,” she said. “I started laughing when he said it because first off, I didn’t make a pick, so it’s not about me. I know he was referencing GameDay because all of our analysts picked Texas. But it’s a fair shot to take. I don’t mind it in the moment. I had people text me. They were like, ‘I can’t believe he called you out on your workplace right in front of you.’ I’m like, ‘He knows what he’s doing.’ I loved it. I love getting passionate responses, in-the-moment responses like that.”
One more way George finds herself in the right place at the right time is as part of ESPN’s top women’s volleyball broadcasting team alongside Holly McPeak and Courtney Lyle. The trio has been on the call for some of the sport’s biggest matches at a time when national interest and ratings are peaking.
“I think it’s a long time coming. I think the sport deserves this moment and has for a while now,” said George, who was a three-time all-conference volleyball player at Louisville. “I’m biased. I love softball and I love women’s basketball. But volleyball is such an easy and fun watch because it’s so fast-paced and you’re seeing something athletic every 10 to 15 seconds.
“I think volleyball is the next big sport, and I hope it falls in the footsteps of what ESPN has been able to do with softball and what they’ve been able to do with women’s college basketball, especially when it comes to the women’s college basketball NCAA tournament. Getting games on ABC on a Sunday, I think these coaches have been clamoring for it for a long, long time. It’s nice that it’s finally getting the moment that I think that these women deserve.”
Welcome back, @sportney_lyle. Our lead #NCAAWVB pxp voice is officially back from maternity leave to call ABC’s FIRST-EVER regular season @NCAAVolleyball match.
Courtney is calling No. 5 Nebraska at No. 4 Louisville now w/ @hmcpeak1, @Katie_George05 and @itsthebaldgirl. pic.twitter.com/Fy7SUlQnO0
— bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) September 22, 2024
George now shows up on ESPN channels and platforms routinely throughout the year, but that doesn’t mean she’s satisfied. She’s had some opportunities to work championship-level events, such as the NCAA women’s volleyball championship and College Football Playoff semifinal game, but she wants more.
“I want to cover championships at the highest level whatever sport that might be,” George said. “I would love to cover a CFP final. And then eventually, I would love to cover an NBA Final if that’s in the cards. I don’t think you would ever walk away from an opportunity to cover the NFL… But I’m really happy and content with the properties that I’m covering at the moment.”
The key to getting there, she feels, is by taking advantage of the opportunities in front of her. That includes learning what she can from the veterans she works alongside.
“[Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer have] just been really good teammates, and I think you’re only as good as those around you,” she said of her college football broadcasting partners. “I’ve been able to elevate my broadcasting career because of the opportunities with the people I’m working with in particular.”
Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer drink a Guinness in the booth.
And Tess reaches over the booth to share his beer with an ESPN cameraman.
ESPN reporter Katie George: “You guys are a mess… You’re both a mess up there.” 🏈📺🎙️🍺 pic.twitter.com/1H5CbmqZYl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 24, 2024
Covering NBA games for ESPN has given her the chance to work with Mike Breen and Doris Burke, who “made me so much better.” The chance to find out that Burke lives up to the stories and legends made it well worth it.
“Everybody told me like, ‘Oh my God, she’s amazing. She’s amazing. She’s this, she’s that. Wait to meet her. Wait to work with her.’ And you’re like, ‘Okay, is she really going to live up to the hype of everybody who sings her praises?’ And I will tell you, the first moment I met her, I immediately felt like I have to make this woman my friend.
“Not that it’s a cutthroat business, but it’s a very competitive business and not a lot of roles, especially for what I do. Having somebody like Doris who’s been there, done that, but then is willing to reach back and reach down and put out her hand to help you and to bring you along and to never feel threatened, but promote you and feel like she’s empowering you. I think that goes a long way. I wish more people were like Doris Burke, truly. She’s been really pivotal in the times that I’ve gotten to work with her.”
This weekend, George takes to the Tuscaloosa sidelines for Alabama vs. Missouri. The CFB season is only halfway done, to say nothing of bowl season and the CFP. The NBA season is just getting underway. F1 returns to the U.S. in November at Las Vegas Street Circuit. NCAA women’s volleyball’s championship season will be here before you know it.
ESPN’s coverage of each sport and league will be vastly different, speaking to the unique demands and desires of fans. At the center of all that coverage will be George, honing her skills, learning from teammates, growing as a broadcaster, and continuing to showcase her versatility.
“I think it’s important, especially in a role like mine, to show your versatility and to not just cover one sport because then I think you can become expendable, for lack of a better word,” she said.
It doesn’t seem like that’s going to be an issue.
