Screen grab: NBC Chicago
By Ben Axelrod on

After announcing her departure from The Athletic last week, Nicole Auerbach is on the move.

Or more accurately, she’s staying put. As first reported by the Sports Business Journal, the former senior writer is set to expand her role at NBC Sports, the network officially announced on Thursday.

“After a great start last season, we look forward to Nicole expanding her insider role to include college basketball, while also adding a podcast and written content as we continue to deliver in-depth college sports coverage across our platforms,” NBC Sports Production Executive Producer and President Sam Flood said in a release.

Auerbach first joined NBC Sports last year as a part of the network’s Big Ten College Countdown program in what marked NBC’s first year as a Big Ten rightsholder. Per SBJ, her new role will see her expand her coverage to college basketball, serving as the lead insider on NBC Sports’ coverage of the Big Ten, Big East and Atlantic 10, in addition to launching a podcast and providing written content for the network’s platforms.

Auerbach will also keep her role as a host SiriusXM.

“It’s a dream come true to work with NBC Sports across all of their college sports platforms,” Auerbach said in a release. “I’ve always prided myself on my ability to break – and explain – the biggest news while also telling stories about the human side of sports, and NBC Sports is the perfect home for me to do both. I can’t wait to get to work.”

News of Auerbach not only remaining with NBC Sports, but also expanding her responsibilities is hardly a surprise, as she was clearly a valued member of the network’s inaugural season of Big Ten coverage. While she’s obviously a strong writer and reporter — she was named the National Sports Media Association’s National Sports Writer of the Year in 2020 — she’s also maintained a strong on-air presence, having been a regular contributor at the Big Ten Network for years before joining NBC Sports’ coverage last year.

Auerbach’s announcement that she was leaving The Athletic came amid a string of departures from The New York Times-owned publication. In addition to Auerbach, national college football writers Ari Wasserman and Max Olson — the latter of whom has since rejoined ESPN — announced their own departures from The Athletic last month, while Pittsburgh Steelers writer Mark Kaboly announced earlier this week that he had been unexpectedly let go before quickly landing with The Pat McAfee Show.

[Sports Business Journal]

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.

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