Allison Williams Promoted to NFL Sideline Reporter

Fox is promoting Allison Williams, currently a college football sideline reporter, to take over Laura Okmin’s position as an NFL sideline reporter.

This development comes about a month after Okmin announced that she would not be renewing her contract with Fox, where she had been for 23 years.

It’s not yet clear which teams Williams will be covering this fall; she also reports on MLB and college basketball for Fox.

Okmin had previously worked alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Kgler and color analyst Daryl “Moose” Johnston for the NFL On Fox during the 2024 season.

Despite her departure, Okmin is still involved with Westwood One Sports Radio, covering NFL postseason events and the Super Bowl.

Fox has chosen not to comment further on this news.

As for Williams, she hasn’t made any promotional news yet regarding her new role.

Williams joined Fox in 2022, following a notable exit from ESPN due to her stance on the Covid-19 vaccine policy. In September 2021, she publicly stated on Twitter that she would be opting out of that college football season as an ESPN sideline reporter, citing her decision to not receive the vaccine and personal reasons.

After a lengthy tenure at ESPN, which began in 2011, Williams eventually sued the network and its parent company, Disney, along with former producer Beth Faber, claiming violations of their religious beliefs after being terminated for not complying with vaccine mandates. However, they dropped the lawsuit in May 2024.

Okmin, on the other hand, plans to focus on Galvanize, a company aimed at training young women aspiring to work in sports media.

Reports indicate that Williams’ promotion has led to the closure of roles previously held by veteran NFL sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson.

Andrews is a key member of Fox’s leading NFL broadcasting team alongside announcer Kevin Burkhart and analyst Tom Brady.

Currently, Fox’s lineup of NFL sideline reporters includes Tom Rinaldi, Pam Oliver, Megan Olivi, Christina Pink, and Jen Hale.