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Sage Steele        

Former ESPN Anchor Known for Hosting "SportsCenter"

Sage Steele is an American television anchor who is the former co-host of the 12pm (ET) SportsCenter on ESPN. She also hosted SportsCenter on the Road from various sporting events such as the Super Bowl and The Masters, and NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC for four seasons, ending in 2017. For five years prior to the NBA assignment, Steele was a full-time host of SportsCenter, ESPN's flagship show, and had previously contributed to ESPN First Take, Mike & Mike in the Morning, and SportsNation. Steele hosted SportsCenter's daytime coverage of the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2013, and covered every NBA Finals from 2012 to 2020.

Before moving to the 6 p.m. ET SportsCenter in May 2018, Steele anchored SportsCenter:AM. Previously she hosted NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC from 2013 through the 2016-17 NBA season.

Steele, who joined ESPN in 2007, served as a regular anchor of SportsCenter until 2013. She also hosted the Scripps National Spelling Bee from 2010-2013. In addition to SportsCenter, she also has contributed to First Take and Mike & Mike, and has been a guest co-host of ESPN2’s SportsNation. Steele also hosted ABC and ESPN’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve during the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Beyond her work for ESPN, Steele has co-hosted ABC’s telecast of the Miss America pageant since 2016 and has been a featured guest host on ABC’s The View. In 2015, Steele added ‘mommy blogger’ to her job portfolio, contributing several stories to Disney-owned Babble. She has also been a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live and has been profiled by Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, Vibe and Huffington Post, to name a few.

Prior to the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400, the Indiana University graduate had the honor of driving the pace car at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Steele began her television career at WSBT-TV in South Bend, Ind., as a producer and reporter (1995-1997). She then moved to WISH-TV in Indianapolis where she was a beat reporter for the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Pacers, in addition to covering the 1997 NCAA Men’s Final Four, NASCAR and the IndyCar Series.

In August 1998, Steele moved to Tampa and worked as a reporter, anchor, and host for WFTS-TV. She was the beat reporter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1998-2001 and covered the 1999 NCAA Men’s Final Four. In 2000, she joined Fox Sports Net in Tampa as a reporter and covered Super Bowl XXXV for the 2000-01 NFL season.

In April 2001, Steele became the anchor for the debut of Comcast SportsNet, serving the Washington DC/Baltimore region. She anchored the flagship show SportsNite for six years and was also a beat reporter for the Baltimore Ravens from 2001-2005, hosting a magazine show for all five seasons.

Steele graduated from Indiana University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sports communications. In her spare time, Steele is a board member for the Pat Tillman Foundation and is passionate about working alongside military veterans. She enjoys horseback riding and spending time with her husband and three children.

Speech Topics

Practice Diversity ... but mean it

YES….race/gender/religion are all important cogs of diversity. But I truly believe diversity BEGINS AND ENDS with diversity of THOUGHT. Diversity/tolerance/acceptance….MUST begin with diversity of thought. I have many examples that I am willing to share.. when diversity of thought has been used against me/other public figures, etc… and how we can hold each other (personally, professionally & publicly) accountable to be better and practice TRUE diversity! In my opinion, practicing this is the ONLY way our country improves and heals.

Choosing the Harder Right

My father, a 1970 West Point graduate, raised us with this motto. It's part of the cadet prayer at West Point which reads, “help me to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and to never be content with a half truth when the whole can be won”. I have found that if we stop and think about it, we usually know exactly what decision we SHOULD make. Whether it applies to our personal lives or our careers, deep down, we know the answer! The key is actually being honest with ourselves, and then following through with it. For a basic, everyday example… putting the grocery cart in the designated area in the parking lot even though its much faster and easier to shove it up on the curb because we’re all so “busy” !! This motto (prayer) has guided me through some of my toughest times in life, and has proven to be so helpful when pondering nearly every aspect of life.

Standing Tall

I want to go deep on the sometimes difficult, yet important decision to stand up for ourselves, but to do so with grace & kindness. I have countless stories from my 27+ years as a tv sportscaster… stories and examples that begin with me being a super shy young woman with a big non-traditional dream (especially at the time) …in a man’s world with no confidence, no experience, as a textbook people-pleaser, afraid to stand up for myself….and the conscious decisions I HAD to make in order to survive…and eventually, flourish. This can definitely be tailored to female audiences (of all ages) but male as well. I have been amazed by how few men are willing to put their neck on the line and stand up for themselves or others, despite what society says about/expects from men. But in order to find true success, we must be willing to stand tall, which means being brave enough to cast fear aside. Fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, fear of being disliked…so many fears! But once we do, and we come out on the other side, it truly is a beautiful thing…which only encourages us to keep pushing, keep reaching for the stars, by standing tall.

News

ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Won't Appear On-Air Following Covid ...
19 hours ago ... ESPN anchor Sage Steele will not be appearing on-air this week, according to multiple news sites, reportedly after she contracted Covid-19 and following ...
Sage Steele joins 'NBA Countdown
Sage Steele will join ESPN's "NBA Countdown" shows on Fridays and Sundays this season, the network announced Tuesday.Sage Steele will appear on ESPN's "NBA Countdown" shows on Fridays and Sundays this season. Steele will join Doug Collins, Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons on the show, which debuts on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. ET.

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