MEAWW.COM / NEWS / SPORTS

Where is ESPN's Tom Rinaldi joining next? The award-winning reporter has been a part of the network since 2002

'So, I thank you,' Rinaldi said in his goodbye video, 'for sharing the stories and the moments, and all the Saturday mornings'

ESPN's award-winning reporter Tom Rinaldi is leaving the network. His final message to ESPN viewers was a thank-you note and a reminder of some of the incredible stories he told on the air. The official Twitter account of 'College GameDay', the pre-game show aired by ESPN as part of the network's coverage of college football, broadcast on Saturday mornings during the college football season, tweeted a video with the message: “Tom Rinaldi pens a thank you note after all of his years on College GameDay. We’ll miss you, Tom.” “So, I thank you,” he said in the video, “for sharing the stories and the moments, and all the Saturday mornings.”

Rinaldi joined ESPN in 2002 and has been an essential fixture at the network. The news of his leaving became a trend on Twitter with thousands reminiscing how much they enjoyed his coverage. Bill Hofheimer, the senior director of communications at ESPN, wrote on Twitter: “Today is bittersweet for our @ESPNCFB crew. A huge day of #CFBPlayoff games but also Tom Rinaldi's final @CollegeGameDay and game assignment. Tom has done incredible work for ESPN since 2002. He is loved and respected by everyone. We are really going to miss him.”

A Twitter user wrote, “Today is Tom Rinaldi's last day on College Gameday. Saturdays won't be the same without us all violently ugly crying from our couch before the Noon games.” ESPN’s Anish Shroff wrote on Twitter, “Few can turn a phrase like Tom Rinaldi. Few can get you to feel a story like Tom Rinaldi. He made us cry and laugh while showing us the power of the human spirit. Thank you, Tom. You were the soul of @CollegeGameDay.”

So, where is Rinaldi headed to now?

As per reports, Rinaldi is leaving ESPN to join Fox Sports, where he is set to cover major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, and major college football games. 

“Tom is one of the all-time great people in this business and a generational storyteller,” Eric Shanks, Fox Sports’ CEO and executive producer said in a statement. “The biggest events on Fox just got bigger because of Tom, and we are honored to have him as our newest teammate.”

“I’m beyond excited to join the great team at Fox Sports,” Rinaldi said in a statement. “To contribute to the network’s incredible collection of live events, and to continue to tell the stories across those sports and in those venues, is such a fantastic opportunity. I can’t wait to get started.”

Rinaldi is a winner of 16 Sports Emmy Awards and seven Edward R. Murrow Awards. Some of Rinaldi's most notable interviews include the first interview in 2010 with golf star Tiger Woods following his car accident and the scandal that followed. He also authored the book, ‘The Red Bandanna: A Life, A Choice, A Legacy’, which chronicles the tragic death of Welles Crowther, a former Boston College lacrosse player, who lost his life while saving others in the September 11 terrorist attacks.