As the 2024 college football season approaches, The Athletic is losing two of its national voices. On Friday, both Ari Wasserman and Max Olson announced that they are leaving the New York Times-owned sports outlet for new opportunities.
Personal news: Today is my last day at @TheAthletic.
It’s been an amazing 7-year run and I was beyond fortunate to get to work with this talented team. I’m so appreciative of the experience and everyone who subscribed and supported us.
Excited to share what’s next soon!
— Max Olson (@max_olson) July 26, 2024
Today is my last day at @TheAthletic. Being one of the first people to work there and helping build the college football vertical into what it is today is the most rewarding professional accomplishment of my life. It was a great seven-year run I’ll cherish the memories made with…
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) July 26, 2024
Wasserman had been with The Athletic since 2017, first joining the publication as its Ohio State football beat writer/columnist. He later transitioned to a more national role with a focus on the impacts of recruiting and co-hosted Andy Staples’ podcast before Staples’ departure to On3 last year.
Another project Wasserman worked on was The Athletic’s “The Official Visit” video series, in which he toured college campuses across the country alongside Olson. Like Wasserman, Olson had been with The Athletic for the past seven years, joining the company in 2017 following stints at ESPN and The Omaha-World Herald.
While The Athletic has possessed a deep roster of national college football writers and reporters, both Wasserman and Olson had carved out their own lanes in their respective seven years with the company.
In Wasserman’s case, it was his emphasis on recruiting — not just tracking prospects’ decisions, but the perspective of the coaches pitching them and the role it plays in building or sustaining a program — as well as his podcasting presence. Olson, meanwhile, has published several pieces of content focused on the return of the College Football 25 video game and had also dabbled in The Athletic’s college baseball coverage, in addition to his own spin on national college football recruiting.
While neither Wasserman nor Olson announced their next destination, it doesn’t appear that either will be leaving the sports media space. Meanwhile, The Athletic has already posted a job listing for a senior college football writer.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.