Fox promoting Allison Williams to replace Laura Okmin on NFL sidelines
Fox Sports is making a big change in its lineup by promoting college football sideline reporter Allison Williams to Laura Okmin’s former NFL sideline reporter role, according to a report from Front Office Sports. This move comes shortly after Okmin announced that she was leaving Fox after 23 years with the network.
Williams, who also covers MLB and college basketball for Fox, will be taking over Okmin’s role, although it is still unclear which announce team she will be working alongside this fall. Okmin, on the other hand, will continue to cover the NFL postseason and Super Bowl for Westwood One Sports radio.
The news of Williams’ promotion comes after a successful tenure at Fox since joining in 2022. Prior to that, Williams had a contentious split from ESPN in 2021 over the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. She decided not to receive the vaccine due to personal reasons related to her fertility and eventually left the network. In 2023, Williams and former producer Beth Faber sued ESPN for firing them over their refusal to comply with the vaccine policy, citing religious beliefs. The lawsuit was later dropped in May 2024.
Okmin, on the other hand, will be focusing on her company, GALvanize, which mentors young women entering the sports world both on and off camera. As for Fox, they have locked down veteran NFL sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson to contract extensions. Andrews is part of Fox’s top NFL broadcast team alongside analyst Tom Brady and play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt.
In addition to Williams’ promotion, Fox’s roster of NFL sideline reporters also includes Tom Rinaldi, Pam Oliver, Megan Olivi, Kristina Pink, and Jen Hale. The network is gearing up for the upcoming NFL season with a new lineup of talented reporters ready to bring fans the latest from the sidelines.
