The 2025–26 college basketball season is packed with drama and storylines. Can Houston complete their revenge? Florida has the ability and the talent to go back-to-back. Kentucky and Mark Pope have splashed an unprecedented amount of money to build their squad. Three of the most talented freshmen, possibly in the last decade, will battle it out for that No.1 NBA draft spot next year. (AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson). And bringing you all these intriguing stories will be a new sideline reporter from ESPN, Kris Budden.

Budden joins the crew as the lead men’s basketball reporter, ESPN announced. She has been at ESPN since 2015, covering a range of sports like tennis, college baseball, football, and basketball. Budden replaces Jess Sims on this team. She joins Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas, who both joined ESPN in 1995 and will call marquee men’s games on ESPN and ABC.  

She will lead three other sideline reporters, Angel Gray and Alyssa Lang are set to work courtside at ESPN’s Men’s College Basketball matchups. With a decade of experience with ESPN and half a decade with WIBR, Budden is well-equipped to take the reins for ESPN at high-profile events. She debuted at Duke-Texas, Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte, and had the first taste of her new position. The college basketball fandom and her colleagues were quick to congratulate Budden on this achievement.

Kris Budden Levels Up to Lead Sideline Role and Fans Love It

“Thrilled for KB & that I got a chance to work with her. Like @sportsiren before her, she’s an all-star!” Wrote ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla. Sims is not leaving basketball, though. She moves over to the women’s game with Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli as a sideline reporter. However, Sims will only join her new team after she finishes her work on the football version of ESPN College GameDay. ESPN mixed up its broadcasting teams, but the exact reason for this change hasn’t been given. 

“Earned it!! ❤️” Wrote Holly Rowe, who will return to the women’s college basketball broadcast team. For years, Rowe has been the face of ESPN’s college basketball coverage on the sidelines. In 2023, ESPN changed its focus to women’s basketball to accommodate the massive boom there. That made way for Sims and now Budden. If a broadcasting legend like Rowe says Budden has earned erases any doubt fans who don’t know Budden might have had. 

“Thank you Bill ❤️Incredibly grateful for this opportunity!” Budden replied. As the premier sideline reporter for major college basketball games, Budden will reach millions of viewers. She has the opportunity to capture key moments and give the best coverage for the biggest games on the calendar. Budden is a true sports enthusiast and will bring a unique flavour to the coverage.

“Fantastic! Love her!” Wrote a fan. Kris Budden has been moving up as a versatile reporter for some time. She made her debut last year on Grand Slam tennis coverage at the 2024 US Open. Budden’s hustle has been a signature part. She is on the screen for one event today and another few thousand miles away, the next. 

In January, Budden covered Penn State as a radio sideline reporter during the Orange Bowl in Miami. The next morning, she flew to Melbourne, Australia, to hit the ground running, covering her first Australian Open. Her dedication shows in her work and will enhance college basketball coverage this season. “I am a reporter and journalist at heart,” she says. Another fan expressed some grief regarding the recent ESPN-YouTube TV controversy. 

“Congrats, and would love to watch, but thanks to your greedy bosses and despite paying for ESPN+, YTTV, Hulu & Disney+, we can’t. Really shitty way to treat your customers,” a frustrated fan wrote. YouTube TV and Disney (which owns ESPN) couldn’t get a deal done on time that had 10 million subscribers scrambling for college football games. That will impact college basketball, too, as many have YouTube TV as the primary provider. ESPN is offering a bundle of its own as it publicly called out YouTube TV. The ones affected are the fans.