Jenny Taft

Jenny Taft, born on September 5, 1987, in Edina, Minnesota, began her career in broadcasting with Fox Sports in 2011 after graduating from Boston University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. Her early work at Fox Sports North (FSN) involved a ‘Fox Sports Girl’ role, working as a sideline reporter for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. She also actively contributed to social media for Minnesota’s Timberwolves, Twins, and Wild teams, and hosted in-stadium/arena events. Taft credits these foundational experiences at FSN, which provided her with essential on-camera repetitions, as crucial to her later career success.

In August 2013, Taft’s career advanced as she was promoted to join FS1’s national news and highlights update team. Her initial assignment at FS1 was as a track reporter for a Supercross event in 2013. She further expanded her portfolio by serving as a reporter for the U.S. women’s national soccer team (USWNST) during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Taft entered the field of college football reporting in 2014, covering games for FS1. By 2017, she was elevated to the lead college football sideline reporter position, working alongside play-by-play commentator Gus Johnson and analyst Joel Klatt. Her responsibilities at FS1 broadened to include coverage of the NFL, MLB, and even the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

A significant turning point in Taft’s career occurred in 2018 when she was announced as the successor to Joy Taylor as the moderator of “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” a prominent FS1 show featuring Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. Concurrently, she launched “CFB: Inside Slant,” a weekly college football program. Despite these new roles, she maintained her college football sideline reporting duties for the 2018 season. Taft continued her involvement in major soccer events, serving as a reporter for the USWNST in the 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cups, and also reported during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In 2022, she signed an extension with Fox Sports, though she departed from “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” after maternity leave. Taft is known for her fluent French, which she utilized while interviewing the French team at the World Cup, a skill that earned her critical acclaim.