Rich Eisen reflects on ‘SportsCenter’ return: ‘Like being in a dream’

For the first time in 22 years, Rich Eisen hosted SportsCenter on Monday night.

Eisen worked at ESPN between 1996 and 2003, and while he had many roles while there, he is perhaps best remembered for his time behind the SportsCenter desk alongside the late Stuart Scott. Eisen left to become the host of NFL Network’s NFL Total Access and started The Rich Eisen Show in 2o14. After years of bouncing between various networks and companies, Eisen returned to ESPN earlier this year, with his daily show anchoring the ESPN Radio daytime lineup as well as appearing on ESPN+, Disney+, and the direct-to-consumer app launching soon.

After several teases that a SportsCenter return could be in the cards, Eisen did indeed make his return as an anchor for the first time since May 28, 2003.

“Hey there. Saying this for the first time in 22 years, welcome to SportsCenter, alongside all of you, I am Rich Eisen,” he said, following an opening that included the old-school intro graphics.

Eisen’s SportsCenter return was a nostalgic trip down memory lane that also included a loving tribute to Scott, who passed away in 2015.

Tuesday, Eisen returned to his show to reflect on how it all came together and how it felt to be back in the chair.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, and I’m always attempting to do so,” he said. “I am buzzing this morning. I am overwhelmed with emotion and appreciative of the reaction to my appearance on SportsCenter last night on ESPN after the Monday Night Football game. First time in 22 years that I’ve hosted the program.”

Eisen credited ESPN EVP, Executive Editor, Sports News and Entertainment Dave Roberts for sparking the possibility.

“Dave Roberts said to me a few weeks ago, ‘Do you want to do a SportsCenter?’ And that’s like asking, to use the Disney+ parlance, a princess if she wants to build a snowman?”

Eisen noted that he asked the production team if they could use the classic SportsCenter graphics, and they were already working on making that happen, as well as something else from the past.

“I did not know that when we were going to do the highlight of the Monday night game that we followed, that they were going to play the Chris Berman NFL Primetime music,” he said. “They surprised me with that. Didn’t know that they were going to… Well, I knew going into the show Monday night, but I didn’t know at the time throughout the weekend, they were going to start digging into some old SportsCenter music and SportsCenter commercials. Didn’t know that they were diving into my old shows to find an old moment that might stick out.”

Rich Eisen is pumped to have the NFL Primetime music for his SportsCenter call of Bengals-Commanders highlights and recognizes Chris Berman to start it. 🏈📺🎙️ https://t.co/beaPmgKrSE pic.twitter.com/lSIxJ4tY2b

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 19, 2025

As for the Stuart Scott tribute, Eisen felt like that was necessary for his return, given how important he was as a partner, colleague, and friend.

“Cancer robbed all of us, of Stuart, and me in particular, of an opportunity to do a show with him one more time,” said Eisen. “We set up a chair. This was all a conscious decision. Let’s put the chair and again, beautifully shot and directed, just pulling out, showing the chair, showing Stuart, literally looking over my shoulder. I mean, come on.

“And then just the reaction. It was amazing. From people feeling just as emotional about seeing all of this stuff. This hit a chord.”

Eisen added that multiple ESPN colleagues reached out to him before, and even during, the show.

“I heard from so many of my old friends and colleagues,” he said. “[Chris] Berman sent a text beforehand. [Mike] Greenberg sent a text before, and Rece [Davis] a text beforehand during the show, during a commercial break, looked down, he goes, ‘$100 if you make a Aloha Means Goodbye, and you give Larry Beil credit.’ And I did at the end, and I said, on the air, ‘$100.’ He texted me after the show, ‘Money well spent.’ [Jeremy Schapp], [Chris] Fowler, Bob Ley sent me a text saying, ‘Catering on Kizl’s, which is a local establishment in Bristol.

“Who else?… Dan Patrick chimed in an hour before the broadcast with one word. ‘Nervous?’

“Steve Levy reached out. ‘How did it feel to be back in the chair?’ ‘It felt great,’ I texted him. ‘I’m just glad I didn’t have to talk about Matthew Stafford’s disk.’ And he texted back, ‘the gift that keeps on giving.’

“So it brought all of us back together because we feel a certain kinship from back in the day. And last night was a nice dose of nostalgia that clearly fans appreciated.”