Erin Andrews Officially Set to Move to Fox Sports After ESPN Contract Expires

Erin Andrews is not extending her contract with ESPN after eight years and will be moving to Fox Sports, Fox announced Sunday.

The network hired Andrews for a new 30-minute prime-time college football studio show, which premieres September 1 before Fox Sports’ coverage of Hawaii at USC, according to Sports Illustrated, who broke the story of her departure on Friday. Andrews will also have other assignments at Fox Sports, including “significant” roles in its NFL and MLB coverage, according to Fox spokesman Dan Bell. The announcement of Andrews’ multi-year agreement was made today by Executive Producer, Co-President & COO, FOX Sports Media Group, Eric Shanks.

“Opportunities to add someone of Erin Andrews’ caliber don’t come along often and we’re thrilled to welcome her back to the FOX Sports family,” Shanks said in a statement. “Erin is one of the hardest-working, most-respected individuals in sports television and we expect her to have an immediate impact. In addition to having her anchor our new college football show and studio coverage, we expect her to be a big contributor to our MLB and NFL coverage as well as other major events.”

“To have the chance to not only host the primetime college football pregame show, but cover the NFL, MLB and various other incredible FOX Sports properties is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Andrews said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited to get to work.”

“It is official…I’m going to @FOXsports,” Andrews tweeted Sunday afternoon. “An incredible opportunity for me & cannot wait to start! CFB kickoff is two months from today!” 

“Going to miss my @ESPN family and the @collegegameday crew. Will always appreciate everything all of you did for me. #Respect #ThankYou,” Andrews added in another tweet. 

Andrews most recently has been a host on the ESPN College Gameday preshow. She also has covered Major League Baseball, the College World Series and college basketball and football. Andrews also has been a contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America.

Fox, on its main network and through regional networks, has grown rapidly and continues to add to its portfolio of sports. It carries the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR and numerous college sports.

Andrews is a native of Lewiston, Maine, but moved to Tampa, Fla., as a child when her father, a TV investigative reporter, relocated the family. She was a cheerleader in high school.

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She attended the University of Florida, where she was on the dance team.

In 2000, the same year she graduated college, Andrews began working on a freelance basis for Fox Sports Florida. At various times she covered the Atlanta Hawks for Turner Sports, the Atlanta Braves and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Sunshine Network.

She started at ESPN in 2004 as a reporter on ESPN National Hockey Night and soon began working as a sideline reporter for college football games, as well as covering other sports.

Andrews also has built her profile with appearances on talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. She appeared on Dancing With the Stars in the 2010 season and placed third out of 11 contestants.

In 2008, Andrews was the subject of a stalker who looked at her through peepholes in her hotel rooms in Nashville and Milwaukee. The man was arrested and sentenced to 30 months in prison. He is due to be released next month.

STORY: Erin Andrews Sues for $10 Million Over 2008 Hotel Peephole Incident

After that, Andrews sued the hotels and worked with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to push for a federal anti-stalking law.

In 2011, Andrews signed an endorsement deal with Reebok. However, a few weeks earlier she had criticized Nike on the air when some players slipped wearing its shoes. As a result, ESPN changed its policy, and Andrews had to give up the endorsement.

Andrews also has been involved in charities, including Kraft Foods Huddle to Fight Hunger and the Girls Night Out initiative, which encourages women to attend sports events.