Sage Steele

Sage Steele was born on November 28, 1972, in the Panama Canal Zone, to an American Army family. Her father, Gary Steele, was the first black varsity football player at West Point and a decorated Army Colonel. Due to her father’s military career, Steele lived in various locations, including Greece and Belgium, before settling in the United States, graduating from Carmel High School in Indiana in 1990. She pursued higher education at Indiana University Bloomington, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in sports communication in 1995. Her early career began in local television, where she honed her skills as a reporter and anchor, laying the foundation for her future in national broadcasting.

Steele’s broadcasting career started in 1995 at WSBT-TV in South Bend, Indiana, as a news producer and reporter. She then moved to WISH-TV in Indianapolis in 1997, serving as a weekend morning sports anchor and weekday reporter, covering prominent teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers. From 1998 to 2001, she worked at WFTS in Tampa, Florida, as a sports reporter, also contributing to Fox Sports Florida. In 2001, Steele joined Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, where she was an anchor and reporter for their nightly sports news program, SportsNite, covering sports in the Washington D.C./Baltimore region and acting as a beat reporter for the Baltimore Ravens.

In 2007, Steele joined ESPN, making her debut on SportsCenter. She became a prominent figure at the network, hosting NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC from 2013 to 2017 and SportsCenter’s daytime coverage of the NBA Finals from 2012 to 2020. Beyond ESPN, she co-hosted the Miss America pageant in 2017 and 2018, and the Scripps National Spelling Bee from 2010 to 2013. After settling a lawsuit, Steele departed ESPN in August 2023. She has since launched “The Sage Steele Show” podcast in March 2024 with Bill Maher’s Club Random Studios, and in April 2024, she replaced Candace Owens in the animated series “Mr. Birchum.”