ESPN "confirmed that the ACC Tournament is the last scheduled assignment for Erin Andrews," as her "contract (and others) are coming up," according to a tweet from Richard Deitsch of SI. He wrote on Twitter, "Should be interesting to see who remains at ESPN (and what assignments those who stay get) over the next couple of months" (TWITTER.com, 3/12). ESPN VP/Communications Mike Soltys said that a tweet that came out early yesterday saying Andrews was leaving the net was "a fake." He said, "She's still under contract and we hope to renew her." USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes Andrews is "among several prominent ESPN on-air staffers, including Scott Van Pelt and Michelle Beadle, whose ESPN deals are up" (USA TODAY, 3/13). The N.Y. POST notes Andrews, who has been at ESPN since '04, reportedly signed a two-year deal in '10 to "remain at ESPN, so she could continue covering college football." At the time, she was reportedly being "wooed by several other networks." Andrews has also appeared as a correspondent for ABC’s "GMA" and "covered red-carpet arrivals for last year’s Oscars telecast" (N.Y. POST, 3/13). YAHOO SPORTS' Graham Watson wrote if Andrews is leaving ESPN, she is going to have "no shortage of offers for her talent." It "wouldn't be all that surprising to see Andrews try to finagle her own talk show on one of the major networks" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/12).
POINT OF NO RETURN? THE BIG LEAD's Jason McIntyre noted the "word on the streets of Bristol is that Beadle wants to make sure" Colin Cowherd sticks around as her co-host on "SportsNation," because it is possible Beadle could "look elsewhere." But McIntyre wrote he has heard Cowherd "won’t return" to "SportsNation" in '13 (THEBIGLEAD.com, 3/12).
