Holly Rowe’s three-decade run in sports journalism is nothing short of special. And on the biggest stage of the season, she’s right where she belongs, on the sidelines for the National Championship clash between Indiana and Miami. Even after 30 years in the business, Rowe made it clear she doesn’t take moments like this for granted, openly thanking God for the chance to be there.

“I’m just taking a quick moment to really soak it all in and be grateful,” Rowe said while she records a video of herself on the field right before the kickoff. “Say a little prayer. And really just have this be my joy moment for them today. I’m very joyful. This is my 30th anniversary calling college football for ABC, 30 years, and your girls never missed one game. Every Saturday for 30 years here. So, I will never take that for granted.

It’s a privilege. I honor that I work really hard. So I get that privilege. But I’m just having a little reflective moment right now. Gosh, my journey’s been cool. Look at this place. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Her presence hits even harder when you remember everything she’s been through. Holly Rowe was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer—desmoplastic melanoma, back in 2015. It started as what looked like a red scar from a previously biopsied mole on her chest that just kept growing. Doctors soon found a large tumor under the skin, which required surgery. Not long after, the cancer came back.

In February 2016, Rowe underwent a second, far more invasive surgery to remove another tumor and 29 lymph nodes. Then came the toughest blow. The cancer spread to her lungs, and she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. Just 11 days before covering a major football game that year, she had a lung biopsy while awake to confirm the tumors were inoperable.

She went through both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Chemo was brutal as he had extreme fatigue, weight loss, and sleepless nights. But somehow, she kept working. For Rowe, being on the sidelines was survival. She once said working around athletes was “the world’s best therapy” and that staying home would’ve felt like letting cancer win.

She even planned her treatments around her job, often scheduling them on Mondays so she could still be on the field for weekend games. Despite public-facing side effects like hair loss, something she openly addressed by shaving her head on camera, she never stepped away. She also developed lymphedema, a painful swelling condition that forced her to wear a compression sleeve during broadcasts.

Her recovery largely came from an immunotherapy clinical trial that carried just a 12% success rate for her condition at the time. But Holly fought through it. In 2024, she and her son McKylin co-founded the Joy+US Foundation. It helped people facing cancer find joy again and provided scholarships to young athletes impacted by the disease.

As of early 2026, Rowe calls herself “one of the lucky ones.” She’s not officially in full remission yet, but her tumors are gone. She still undergoes regular scans to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned. This season marks her fifth straight year on the national championship sidelines and the 12th title game covered by the Fowler–Herbstreit–Rowe broadcast crew.

She prepared meticulously for this moment. So much so that she reportedly avoided contact with anyone who was sick amid the recent flu surge in the U.S.

Holly Rowe’s strict approach to being ready for work

ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe issued a candid plea for privacy on January 16. She announced that she would skip handshakes during cold and flu season to stay healthy for the College Football Playoff national championship.​

“Some personal news,” she wrote on X. “I will no longer be shaking hands during this cold and flu season. Thank you for respecting my privacy at this time. EVERYONE I meet is sniffling. Trying to make it to Monday cold-free.”

Her request stems from a brutal U.S. respiratory illness wave. It’s one of the worst in 25 years. It significantly peaked in late December 2025 into January 2026, heightening risks for sideline reporters interacting with athletes. She is assigned alongside Molly McGrath, and no matter what, she needs to be healthy till then, because this flu has even hunted down some of the players playing in the finals. Miami’s recent Fiesta Bowl win over Ole Miss on January 8 exposed the peril.

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About 20 players battled flu symptoms, including running back Mark Fletcher, who rushed for 113 yards despite illness. Coach Mario Cristobal praised their grit: “I can’t tell you how many of our players were sick or had the flu… We’re going to find a way.” Here, the problem is Rowe’s vulnerabilities, which surged due to her cancer. She still might be less immune to these things.