Loyal “SportsCenter” viewers may want to cherish the time they have left with Scott Van Pelt at the anchor desk.
The longtime ESPN star, and the full-time host of the midnight edition of “SportsCenter” since 2015, hinted in not-so-uncertain terms that his run could be ending in the near future.
During an appearance on “SI Media With Jimmy Traina” podcast, Van Pelt and Traina discussed his future at the network and his time on the flagship show.
When Traina asked if Van Pelt could see himself doing it for another three years, the “SportsCenter” host responded “Nah.”
“I don’t think,” Van Pelt said. “My contract doesn’t run that long, and there are conversations to be had about what all is part of it. At some point, you just gotta step aside and let somebody else have it.”
While the host chair may not be one that Van Pelt wants to occupy for much longer, don’t expect him to just disappear from the airwaves when he does step aside.
“I don’t think it would be cold turkey, goodbye, God bless,” Van Pelt said. “Listen, they have re-established the market and they can come to me with LIV numbers and say to me, ‘Van Pelt, we really like this thing you do’ and they’d get you caught up to some of the numbers they’ve thrown around and you [think], they can roll people out there and I’ll be sitting out there going [in old man voice], ‘Let me tell you about the game tonight.’”
The 56-year-old sportscaster has been with ESPN since 2001 and has appeared on the network’s golf and college football coverage in addition to hosting duties on ESPN Radio.
Van Pelt told Traina that certain aspects of it still have electricity, but some parts of the gig just don’t carry the same weight, Van Pelt said.
One of those not-so-special moments on the desk would likely be when he lost his voice during a March broadcast.
But still, Van Pelt said there are just certain special moments with the job.
“Talking to Jamal Murray when you can ask him, from a scale of 0 to 10, 0 I’m sober and 10 I’m wrecked, what are you, and he gives you the [Dikembe] Mutombo wag because he’s just been playing 48 minutes, he has 0 percent body fat and he’s been chugging champagne. He’s probably bombed, but you wanna give him an out so we can frame the conversation here,” Van Pelt explained.
“Like, those nights are such a blast, Jimmy. You just feel like it’s such a treat to talk to these people in the middle of those moments. They’ve just achieved the pinnacle, and you’re the one who gets to talk to them and that’s awesome.”
Van Pelt added: “At some point, it’s Tuesday night and you’re following the White Sox and it’s like, that’s fun, too, but it’s just not the same level of juice as a night like this.”
A Maryland graduate, Van Pelt previously worked at the Golf Channel before departing for ESPN.