ESPN reporter calls out lack of diversity

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; ESPN broadcaster Holly Rowe interviews Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin after the Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Utah Utes in the 109th Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday marked a day of celebration for EA Sports’ College Football 25 video game.

In addition to announcing its NIL program for participating players, the highly anticipated video game revealed which announcers will be included in the game.

But while College Football 25 will have an impressive broadcasting roster featuring the likes of Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Jesse Palmer, Kevin Connors and David Pollack, curiously, no female broadcasters have announced that they will be a part of the video game. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, ESPN’s Molly McGrath called attention to the omission while expressing hope that female broadcasters will ultimately be included.

“So exciting!” McGrath wrote while quote tweeting an Awful Announcing article regarding the broadcasting announcement. “I really hope @EASPORTSCollege included female broadcasters, as well. Women are a huge part of college football.”

Meanwhile, McGrath’s ESPN colleague, Holly Rowe, was more straightforward in expressing her disappointment in the video game not including any female broadcasters.

“How about including some women @EASPORTS 30 years on the college football sidelines,” Rowe posted, along with a shrugging emoji.

While College Football 25 won’t be released until the summer, one would imagine that if there were plans for the video game to include any female broadcasters, McGrath and/or Rowe would have known about them. It’s certainly curious that EA Sports would opt to not include any female broadcasters — especially while including Pollack, who hasn’t been actively involved in college football broadcasting since being let go by ESPN last year.

To McGrath and Rowe’s points, female broadcasters have a huge presence in college football, whether it be Jess Sims and Jen Lada on College GameDay, play-by-play broadcaster Beth Mowins or sideline reporters like McGrath and Rowe (among many others). If the point of College Football 25 is to replicate an authentic college football experience, then not including any female broadcasters falls short of that goal.

With the video game still months away from being released, it’s unclear whether it’s too late for EA Sports to add any female broadcasters to the game. If nothing else, hopefully McGrath and Rowe calling attention to the oversight will lead to appropriate changes being made for College Football 26.

[Molly McGrath on X, Holly Rowe on X]