Latest news with #collegegameday
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Sport
- Bloomberg
A $62 Million High School Stadium Comes at a Bigger Cost
On Thursday night, Philip Beard Stadium in Buford, Georgia, made its national television debut on ESPN. The new $62 million facility, located 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, features 15 corporate suites, 10,000 seats and a 3,600-square-foot, state-of-the-art scoreboard. It's the perfect backdrop for a college gameday — but the stadium wasn't designed for an institution of higher learning. It was built for Buford High School football, and it isn't even the most expensive high school venue in the country. The extravagance is emblematic of the changing landscape of youth football. As more money transforms the college version — much of which I've supported — the traditions and culture of high school football are becoming collateral damage. What's left behind is a commercial spectacle, far removed from the spirit of amateurism and community that should be preserved in youth sports.
New York Post
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rex Ryan parties with ex-ESPNers Sage Steele, Sam Ponder in ‘Here to Bang' T-shirt
He certainly is a firecracker. Rex Ryan's Fourth of July festivities served as an ESPN reunion with former colleagues Sam Ponder and Sage Steele, the latter of whom documented the celebrations on social media and called out the ex-Jets coach's cheeky attire. 'Only Rex Ryan can pull off a shirt like that!!' Steele exclaimed Monday of Ryan's 'Just here to bang' T-shirt that featured a sparkler animation. 6 Sage Steele posted snapshots from Rex Ryan's Fourth of July celebrations with Sam Ponder. Instagram 6 The 'Sunday NFL Countdown' star wore a T-shirt that read, 'Just here to bang.' Instagram 'What an awesome reunion weekend full of reminiscing with some of the most wonderful humans I know!!' Steele, who departed ESPN in 2023 after 16 years, opened up about her two decades-plus friendship with Ryan, who joined the Worldwide Leader in 2017 after head-coaching stints with the Bills and Jets. '25 years of friendship with Rex (dating back to our @ravens days!) and almost 15 years of friendship with the beautiful @samanthaponder,' Steele said of the duo. 6 Rex Ryan worked with Sam Ponder on 'Sunday NFL Countdown' before she was let go in 2024. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 'Thank you to Rex and Michelle [Ryan's wife] for including us and inviting us to your home away from home!!' Ryan, 62, frequently contributes to ESPN's 'Get Up' and serves as an analyst on 'Sunday NFL Countdown,' which Ponder, 39, had hosted since 2017 until her shocking firing in August 2024. Mike Greenberg took over hosting duties last year. 6 Sam Ponder originally joined ESPN in 2011. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 6 Sage Steele left ESPN in 2023 after 16 years. Instagram/Sage Steele Ponder, the wife of former NFL quarterback Christian Ponder, recently shared she's still close with her former 'College GameDay' colleagues Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis and David Pollack. 'David Pollack is stuck with me as the big brother I never (jk) wanted, and I was texting with Kirk Herbstreit the day before I got fired,' Ponder said in an Instagram Q&A last month. 'Rece Davis is my forever favorite. I'll never forget how all 3 of them loved Jesus and treated people. I will be a 'college gameday' fan as long as they continue to make it about the people. It's such a special show.' 6 Sage Steele spoke about her friendship with Rex Ryan in her Instagram post from July 2025. Instagram Ponder had originally joined ESPN in 2011. She remains close with Steele, who is two years removed from her ESPN departure. 'Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely,' she posted on X in August 2023. 'I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!' Steele sued ESPN and its parent company Disney in April 2022 over circumstances that led to her being sidelined in 2021. The lawsuit alleged Steele was retaliated against over comments made about the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and how it violated her right to free speech.
New York Post
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sam Ponder opens up on relationship with colleagues in rare words on ESPN after firing
Sam Ponder is speaking out after being shockingly fired by ESPN in August 2024. The former host of 'Sunday NFL Countdown,' who was let go as part of the network's cost-cutting layoffs last summer, revealed Monday in a fan Q&A on Instagram that she's still close with her former 'College GameDay' colleagues, Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis and David Pollack. 'David Pollack is stuck with me as the big brother I never (jk) wanted, and I was texting with Kirk Herbstreit the day before I got fired,' Ponder, 39, said when asked if she still talks to the 'College GameDay' crew, adding a crying laughing emoji. 4 Former ESPN host Sam Ponder explained that she's still close with her former 'College GameDay' colleagues, Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis and David Pollack in a fan Q&A on her Instagram Story on Monday. Instagram/Sam Ponder/Kirk Herbstreit 4 Ponder was fired from ESPN after 13 years with the company. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 'Rece Davis is my forever favorite. I'll never forget how all 3 of them loved Jesus and treated people. I will be a 'college gameday' fan as long as they continue to make it about the people. It's such a special show.' Herbstreit reposted her message — which has since expired — on his own Instagram Story, according to Athlon Sports. Ponder first joined ESPN in 2011, working mostly in the college football space. She contributed to and hosted 'College GameDay' from 2012-16, and worked as an in-game sideline reporter in 2016. 4 Kirk Herbstreit sits on the set of ESPN 'College GameDay' prior to the College Football Playoff first round game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus on December 21, 2024. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images She was promoted to 'Sunday NFL Countdown' in 2017, joining a signature program that airs Sunday mornings prior to 1 p.m. ET kickoffs, with an analyst desk that features Randy Moss, Tedy Bruschi and Rex Ryan. ESPN's Mike Greenberg — who also hosts 'NBA Countdown' and the daily morning program 'Get Up' — replaced Ponder as the host of 'Sunday NFL Countdown.' Ponder, who has yet to announce her next gig, wasn't the only notable ESPN football personality to be removed from the network's lineup in advance of the 2024 college and pro campaigns. Former Heisman winner Robert Griffin III was also let go with years left on his contract. 4 The Liberty University alum joined ESPN in 2011. Getty Images for SiriusXM Griffin reportedly landed a job with Fox Sports in April. Ponder, the wife of former Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, made waves on social media last summer over controversial female boxer Imane Khelif, who won Olympic gold at the Paris Games. 'ENOUGH is what all of us should be saying!! Proud of this woman,' Ponder wrote, quoting a post about Italian Angela Carini, who withdrew from her opening bout with Khelif. Ponder also expressed support for President Donald Trump after his assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally last July. Nonetheless, reports suggest that Ponder was removed not for her political beliefs, but instead for cost-cutting purposes as ESPN alters its programming.
