Laura Rutledge has reached a multi-year contract extension with ESPN that keeps her in place as host of NFL Live and SEC Nation, and as a contributor to major event programming, ESPN said.
The network said Rutledge may assume additional responsibilities over the course of the new deal, while also noting there are no obvious openings among established studio teams for a substantially higher-profile role.
ESPN's announcement recalled the network passed over Rutledge for the Sunday NFL Countdown hosting role, which went to Mike Greenberg after ESPN laid off the previous host, Samantha Ponder.
The extension also positions Rutledge to continue contributing to event coverage such as the NFL Draft, the College Football Playoff and the Masters, according to the announcement.
Rutledge joined ESPN and the SEC Network after earlier stops at Fox Sports, where she worked as a sideline reporter covering Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres broadcasts and developed original programming including a local show called SD Live.
She later took on Chargers Insider work and hosted postseason and halftime programming for college football on Fox platforms before rising to national roles at ESPN.
Background And Personal Life
Rutledge is from St. Petersburg, Florida, and she is a University of Florida graduate who majored in broadcast journalism and belonged to Zeta Tau Alpha.
She is a former Miss Florida who competed in the Miss America pageant and who performed ballet as her competition talent.
Rutledge is married to former professional baseball player Josh Rutledge, and the couple has two children, a daughter named Reese and a son named Jack, and they live in a log cabin in suburban Connecticut.
Her childhood included a move to a small beach community where she studied ballet, played music and attended a charter school in Seaside, experiences she credits with shaping her early interests and work ethic.
Rutledge has discussed the juggling act of daily national broadcasting and family life, saying she strives to be present at home and that she relies on family support while managing a demanding broadcast schedule.
