By admin 
While there were plenty of stars at the 2026 ESPY Awards in New York City, it was ESPN host Laura Rutledge who stole the spotlight.
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Rutledge has been a versatile employee for ESPN since her debut in 2014. She started off as a reporter for SEC Network and was the host of “SEC Nation” for several years before eventually being named the full-time host of “NFL live” in June 2020.
In addition to hosting “NFL Live,” Rutledge is part of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” crew. The University of Florida graduate was promoted to a full-time role as a sideline reporter prior to Week 1 of the 2025 season.
“With the 2025 Monday Night Football season on the horizon, ESPN has extended Lisa Salters, elevated Laura Rutledge’s sideline reporting role and added both Katie George and Peter Schrager to its game coverage, resulting in two sideline reporters for all 25 NFL on ESPN games,” ESPN said in a press release. ”Rutledge, now a two-time Emmy recipient as the host of NFL Live and reporting for SEC on ABC, has joined AfterBuck, Aikman and Salters for marquee MNF regular season games and ESPN’s Wild Card and Divisional playoff games for the past few seasons, sharing the sidelines with Salters more than a dozen times. In those same seasons, Rutledge was the sideline reporter with Fowler, Orlovsky, and Riddick for select MNF dual game weeks.”
Even though Rutledge wasn’t nominated for any awards at the ESPYS, she caused quite the stir by showing up to the David H. Koch Theater in NYC in a stunning black dress.
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Rutledge shared a few photos of her ESPYS outfit on social media, which then led to her being bombarded with compliments from her fans.
“Laura is so incredibly elegant and her smile lights up a room, truly beautiful,” one fan commented.
“You look classy, elegant and gorgeous as always,” a second fan said.
“Laura! Absolutely stunning,” another fan wrote.
What should fans expect from Rutledge this fall?
For starters, Rutledge will continue to host “NFL Live” and report from the sideline on “Monday Night Football.” What she won’t be doing, however, is hosting “SEC Nation.” She gave up that role earlier this year.
“Ten years ago, I walked onto this set not fully knowing what the journey would become. Today, I walk away knowing it became one of the most meaningful chapters of my life,” Rutledge wrote. ”SEC Nation has never just been a show to me. It’s been a family, a front-row seat to the passion of college football and a weekly reminder of what makes the SEC so special. From the roar of packed stadiums on crisp fall mornings to the quiet, behind-the-scenes moments that viewers never see, every second has meant something. Seeing all of you show up for us every Saturday and feeling genuinely honored you wanted to take pictures and chat will always stick with me.”
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There’s no question Rutledge will continue to be a valuable worker for ESPN.
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This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 8:25 AM.