The Rich Eisen Show won’t debut on ESPN airwaves for another two weeks. But before it does, the show’s host is getting back to his roots at the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
According to the network, Rich Eisen will host the 11 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter on Monday night following ESPN’s presentation of the Monday Night Football preseason matchup between the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals. The gig will mark Eisen’s first time hosting the show he was synonymous with throughout his first run at the network from 1996-2003 and comes ahead of The Rich Eisen Show officially joining Disney and ESPN platforms on Sept. 2.
Tonight, for the first time in over 20 years, @richeisen will anchor @SportsCenter
đź“ş 11p ET | ESPN
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— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 18, 2025
Eisen will be joined in studio on Monday night by ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes. Notably, the show will take place in Los Angeles, months after the network ceased hosting its late-night SportsCenter out of its Southern California studio.
While his daily show will air on ESPN platforms via a licensing agreement similar to Pat McAfee’s, whether or not Eisen will ultimately be a full-time employee at the network may ultimately be a matter of semantics. Following the news that ESPN is taking over the NFL Network via its equity deal with the league, the 56-year-old reacted to the news with a sense of both excitement and sentimentality.
“There’s some ways that you can plug the brands together and go together forward as an exciting team,” he said. “I know all the people who work in the NFL at ESPN, many of them were there when I was there 22 years ago. I can’t believe it. I’m going back.”
While the ESPN-NFL deal may not be official for another year — if not longer — it’s clear that Eisen’s connection to his former (and perhaps future) employer will be strong, as evidenced by Monday night’s assignment. In addition to already making good on his tease to reappear on ESPN’s flagship show, Eisen previously announced plans to host a SportsCenter-themed podcast titled This Is SportsCenter, in which he will interview iconic hosts and staff involved with the show.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.