Lisa Salters

Alisia “Jokic” Salters was born on March 6, 1966, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Penn State University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. During her college years, she played guard for the Lady Lions basketball team from 1986 to 1987, holding the distinction of being the shortest player in school history at 5 feet 2 inches. Salters began her career in broadcast journalism, serving as a Los Angeles-based correspondent for ABC News from 1995 to 2000. In this role, she covered significant national news events, including the O.J. Simpson civil and criminal trials, the Oklahoma City bombing trials, and the crash of TWA flight 800. Her comprehensive reporting skills and dedication during this period established her journalistic foundation.

Salters transitioned to sports journalism in March 2000 when she joined ESPN as a general assignment reporter. She quickly became a prominent figure, taking on roles such as sideline reporter and co-producer for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and the lead sideline reporter for ABC’s NBA coverage. Her career at ESPN also includes being a featured correspondent on the newsmagazine show “E:60,” which premiered in October 2007, and for which she received a Sports Emmy Award nomination in 2008 for her story “Ray Of Hope.” Throughout her tenure, Salters has reported from various global events, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and hosted ESPN’s coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

Her career progression further involved her becoming the lead sideline reporter for ABC’s NBA coverage during the 2005–06 season, filling in for Michele Tafoya during maternity leave, and later returning as a lead reporter in 2009. She also reported from the Middle East prior to and during the Iraq War, covering sports-related stories for “Outside the Lines,” “SportsCenter,” and ESPNEWS. In 2012, Salters joined the “Monday Night Football” broadcast team as a full-time solo sideline reporter, a role she has maintained through several team changes, including most recently with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in 2022. She continues to be a respected voice in sports journalism, recognized for her credibility and extensive experience.