Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy award-winning sportscaster recognized for her sideline reporting in the NFL and NBA, who has since transitioned to a political and cultural commentator. After becoming the first female analyst to cover UNC-Charlotte men’s basketball games in 1993 at WAQS-AM, Michele Tafoya swiftly established herself as a versatile sportscaster. Her early career included roles as a host and sideline reporter for the Minnesota Vikings and University of Minnesota women’s basketball broadcasts at KFAN-AM, and covering the Minnesota Timberwolves and Big Ten women’s basketball and volleyball for the Midwest Sports Channel. From 1995 to 1998, Tafoya served as a sports anchor and reporter at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, honing her on-air presence.

4). In 2011, Tafoya joined NBC Sports Group, commencing her highly successful tenure as the sideline reporter for ‘NBC Sunday Night Football,’ a role she held for over a decade. Her exceptional reporting earned her four Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter in 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2020. During her time at NBC, Tafoya covered five Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, which stands as one of the most-watched shows in U.S.

Her distinguished career spanned an impressive 327 national primetime NFL games. Following her retirement from broadcasting, Tafoya transitioned into the political and cultural commentary sphere, joining Kendall Qualls’ Republican Minnesota gubernatorial campaign as co-chair, solidifying her new direction in public discourse.