Who Is Laura Rutledge?
Laura Rutledge is an American sports television host and reporter for ESPN, best known as the host of the daily NFL studio show NFL Live and the traveling college football pregame show SEC Nation. In 2025, her profile rose further as she was promoted to a full-time sideline reporter for ESPN’s lead Monday Night Football crew, working alongside Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters on 20 games during the season.
Expanded Role on Monday Night Football
In 2025, Laura Rutledge took on a major new responsibility as a full-time sideline reporter for ESPN’s No. 1 Monday Night Football broadcast team. She works alongside play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman, and fellow sideline reporter Lisa Salters, covering 20 games during the regular season and key playoff matchups, including the Wild Card and Divisional Round games.
This expanded role marks a significant step in Rutledge’s career, placing her at the heart of ESPN’s flagship NFL coverage. Despite this added workload, she continues to host NFL Live daily, often broadcasting the show live from the site of that week’s Monday Night Football game, blending her studio and sideline duties seamlessly.
Anchor of NFL Live and SEC Nation
Rutledge has been the host of NFL Live since 2020, leading the Emmy-nominated weekday NFL studio show with analysts Ryan Clark, Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky, and Marcus Spears. Under her stewardship, NFL Live has become ESPN’s most-watched iteration of the program, with strong ratings during the regular season and playoffs.
On the college side, Rutledge is the longtime host of SEC Nation, ESPN’s traveling Saturday morning pregame show for Southeastern Conference football. She has been with the program for nearly a decade, first as a reporter and then as host, making her a familiar face across the SEC footprint each fall. Her dual role on NFL Live and SEC Nation underscores her importance to ESPN’s year-round football coverage.