Michelle Beadle

Sports reporter Michelle Beadle didn't always plan on pursuing a career on the field and in the arena. Born in Italy but raised in Texas, Beadle attended the University of Texas studying political science with an eye to becoming a lawyer. However, after participating in a law group based in Austin, Beadle realized that being an attorney wasn't what she really wanted. She would spend a few years traveling and working odd jobs before she secured an internship with the San Antonio Spurs. The experience helped Beadle realize that her love of sports could translate into a career, and by 2002, she was moving into the broadcast area of athletics, working as a "behind-the-chutes" sideline reporter for the coverage of the Professional Bull Riders' Bud Light Cup tour on the network TNN. Beadle's ease on screen soon led to other hosting jobs, such as on the Travel Channel series "Get Packing" (Travel Channel, 2004). Later that same year she hosted Major League Baseball's "Cathedrals of the Game" (iNHD, 2004-2005). By 2009, she was working for ESPN as a co-host on "SportsNation" (ESPN, 2009-), and hosting "Winner's Bracket" on the ABC series "ESPN Sports Saturday" (ABC, 2010-2015). In 2012 however, Beadle opted to switch networks, anchoring on NBC Sports. There, she briefly hosted "The Crossover with Michelle Beadle" before returning to ESPN to resume her duties on "SportsNation."