Update: A Fox News spokesperson reached out after the story’s publication to clarify that Ponder will not be a full-time co-host of The Girls, and while she may “potentially” return, her return is not scheduled beyond the first episode.
Two years after leaving ESPN as part of its annual late-summer layoffs, former Sunday NFL Countdown anchor Sam Ponder is back with a new role in political media.
Ponder will be part of a new weekly podcast from Fox News called The Girls, which features some of the most prominent women on the conservative news network’s talent roster. Joining Ponder are Fox & Friends Weekend cohost Rachel Campos-Duffy, longtime Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, Gutfeld! panelist Kat Timpf, and former Andrew Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa.
The Girls will release episodes weekly, and the panel will rotate each week. The Hollywood Reporter reported that other talent may join the show in the future.
Ponder previously had no formal role at Fox News, though her conservative politics have come to the fore since ESPN laid her off in 2024. The Liberty University grad was one of several ESPN personalities to speak out for stricter gender participation policies in sports after intersex Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Some, including GOP Senate nominee and former NBC Sports reporter Michelle Tafoya, speculated that her exit from ESPN shortly thereafter may have stemmed from her outspokenness on the issue. More recently, Ponder and fellow former ESPNer Sage Steele have criticized what they believe was a strongly left-leaning environment at the Worldwide Leader.
In addition to Sunday NFL Countdown, Ponder came up as a college football reporter and College GameDay contributor.
Both Steele and Tafoya partnered with conservative podcast networks after leaving sports media. Another former ESPN personality, Will Cain, now hosts a daily show for Fox News.
One would imagine that if Ponder’s role on The Girls goes well, it could be a pathway to become a more regular contributor across the news network.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is an Editorial Lead at Awful Announcing overseeing digital content and special projects. He lives in Phoenix and has covered sports media for Awful Announcing since 2023.