College sports enjoy the fame it has today, particularly because of the efforts of sports media. For decades, sports broadcasters have seen some great presenters and commentators make waves because of the work they do. Lee Corso, Keith Jackson, Ron Franklin, and modern greats like Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee did not become famous easily. But amidst the sea of male faces in a sport meant for men, some women are also making their mark in college football media. Holly Rowe is one of the most recognizable faces from this very rare group. For her outstanding work, she was just honored with a surprise award.

Getting us all the action from the sidelines on ESPN’s Saturday Night programs during the playoffs was the network’s veteran college sports expert, Holly Rowe. She captured a gallant and ecstatic Jack Sawyer after the semi-final win against Texas, and all the action that went down in the Mercedes-Benz stadium during the National Championship game. From making her debut with Fox Sports as a women’s college basketball broadcaster in 1993, to now being one of the most recognizable faces on the sidelines, Holly Rowe has come a long, long way. And for her 22-year-long career, she was bestowed with a notable honor.

College Sports Communicators, a group that is focused on all things college athletics, named Holly Rowe as the recipient of the Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award. Keith Jackson was a veteran college football broadcaster for ABC Sports, and is easily one of the biggest icons in sports media. The organizers sneakily planned to surprise Rowe, since she was also the emcee for the event. While calling for the award, the description of the award kept being relayed, until the announcer mentioned that the winner was none other than Rowe. She was pleasantly shocked at the turn of events, while the presenter walked towards her with the award.

“Well they really shocked me. What an incredible honor. I have spent a lifetime in college sports. This award from my sports family means the world to me. Thank you all!!!!❤️,” Rowe wrote on X. The entire audience was up on their feet as they applauded the presenter. “It’s really an honor,” she later said. “Anything with Keith Jackson’s name on it, he was kind of my narrator of childhood watching college football. I grew up to be someone who got to actually work with him. I worked his last college football game with him. So this is a huge reward for me,” she added. She also had some words for future media sports media enthusiasts.

“I think it’s a wonderful job. You get to tell stories, you get to be at games, you get to impact people’s lives. And I just think it’s really important; you’ll work long, hard hours, you’ll work nights and weekends, and it will be the best job you ever have. Because you get to be right at the heartbeat of telling stories and college sports, and that’s a pretty cool place to be.” Holly Rowe’s long-spanning career in college sports is proof why she’s one of the most influential media figures in the game.

A look at Holly Rowe’s prolific career

The veteran journalist joined ESPN full-time in 1998 and worked in certain telecasts with the program before that. Rowe also worked with ABC Sports from 1995 to 1996. Rowe’s prowess is also evident in her coverage of women’s college sports. On Fox Sports, she covered women’s college basketball and volleyball from 1993 to 2003. She was also the play-by-play announcer for BYU’s women’s basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics from 1993 to 2009.

Rowe was also famously part of the play-by-play announcers for ESPN’s reportage of the 1998 Women’s World Cup. Along with that, she hosted the network’s programming for Running of the Bulls. She has featured in almost every major college sports tournament there is, and has been a key part of ESPN’s coverage of Saturday Night Prime College Football, Women’s College World Series, Big Monday College Basketball, and many more. She also covers the WNBA and NBA.

However, her challenges were far beyond the field and mic. The standout journalist continues with her trailblazing work in college sports coverage despite being diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer in 2025. But with her true sportsman spirit, she has bounced back.

She addressed the University of Utah’s (her alma mater) class of 2025 this year too. There, Rowe highlighted that she took to this arena primarily because women’s college sports were not getting adequate attention. With some help, she managed to buy radio time for a Utah vs BYU basketball game. “Some of that was selfish because I wanted to be the announcer. But I created that opportunity for myself, and in doing that, I helped to lift women’s sports to new heights.” Now, that passion has cemented her as one of college sports’ most influential figures.