It was just a few years ago that you seemingly couldn’t go a day without a high-profile sportswriter penning a letter revealing “Why I’m Joining The Athletic.”
But as the 2024 football season approaches, that trend appears to have reversed.
Taking to X on Wednesday, Nicole Auerbach revealed that it’s her final day at The New York Times-owned outlet. The senior writer and college sports reporter said she’ll share what’s next for her career “soon.”
“Some news: Today is my last day at @TheAthletic,” she wrote. “It’s been an incredible seven years, and I am so, so proud of what we built from scratch. And I got to work with some of my best friends in journalism every day. Grateful for it all. Excited about what’s next — will share soon!”
As she noted in her farewell, Auerbach has been at The Athletic since 2017, joining the then-startup following a seven-year stint at USA Today. Over the course of her time at The Athletic, she became one of the faces of the publication’s NCAA football and basketball coverage, routinely covering some of college sports’ quirkier stories while also maintaining a presence on NBC’s primetime Big Ten broadcasts, the Big Ten Network and SiriusXM. In 2020, she was named the National Sports Media Association’s National Sports Writer of the Year, making her the youngest national winner of the prestigious award.
Considering her versatility and growing presence in the television and radio spaces, it will certainly be interesting to see where Auerbach lands next.
Auerbach’s departure comes less than two weeks after national writers Ari Wasserman and Max Olson announced their own departures from The Athletic. Olson later announced that he is returning to ESPN, while Wasserman has yet to announce his destination. NFL reporter Kalyn Kahler also recently left The Athletic for ESPN.
While each reporter appears to have left on his or her own accord, The Athletic no longer appears to be as aggressive in talent acquisition or retention as it once was. That’s hardly a surprise as the outlet strives for profitability under its New York Times ownership. But it marks a notable shift for the publication whose co-founder once stated a desire to let local newspapers “continuously bleed” and “suck them dry of their best talent.”
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.