Rachel Margolis

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Senior Publicist (College Sports)@ESPNRachel

New to the world wide leader – ESPN, I am not new to the sports world. Landing this job at ESPN in July has been an exciting adventure for me, while still working with college sports, new doors of opportunity have opened for me. Always an avid sports fan and not an athlete – I grew up a huge fan of the Hartford Whalers, while also watching my brother compete at different levels. I became the manager of several high school sports teams and continued that hobby into college. While at Quinnipiac, I worked in the Sports Information Department, which led me to a summer internship at the New Haven Ravens, a AA baseball team, and an eventual job with the Athletic Communications Department at the University of Connecticut. After my five-year stint at Connecticut, I spent six years as Director of Communications at the BIG EAST Conference in Providence, R.I. before joining ESPN.

Recent Posts

posted by Rachel Margolis on February 15, 2013 2:17 PM

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ESPN employees share memories of Kay Yow, reflect on Play 4Kay women’s basketball initiative

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(L-R) ESPN’s Carol Stiff, former Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt, Kay Yow (center, seated), former WBCA member Summer McKesson, WBCA Chief Executive Officer Beth Bass, ESPN’s Rosa Gatti, Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. (ESPN)

For the seventh straight year, ESPN will support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and The V Foundation for Cancer Research, by airing 12 women’s basketball games over two days, Sunday, Feb. 17, and Monday, Feb. 18, as part of the Play 4Kay initiative.

The fund is in memory of former NC State head coach Kay Yow, who died Jan. 24, 2009, after a long, courageous battle with breast cancer.

Carol Stiff, espnW’s Vice President, Content Program and Integration, and Lindsey Ross, ESPN Associate Manager, Programming, both knew Coach Yow and have played a part in the Play 4Kay initiative since its inception.

Related Content
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• Front & Center Podcast:
Kevin Negandhi

What kind of person was Kay Yow and what was your relationship?
Ross: I was extremely fortunate to get to know Coach Yow, although for much too short of a time. I worked with her throughout my years in the Communications Department at the Atlantic Coast Conference office. She was definitely a one-of-a-kind person who everyone felt connected to immediately. I remember her saying that once people learned how to care more about others than themselves, then we would know that we had fully matured. I always felt that every word she said should have had quotation marks around it. That was just it — she constantly lived her life in a way that positively impacted someone else. Ironically, she still does today.

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Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, ESPN’s Lindsey Ross, The V Foundation’s Nick Valvano.
(Photo courtesy of Lindsey Ross)

What impact has the Kay Yow Cancer Fund had? continue reading…

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Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by Rachel Margolis on February 13, 2013 3:51 PM

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Front & Center: Kevin Negandhi

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ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi. (Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

Click HERE to listen or visit iTunes to download the podcast and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Front & Center podcast. Also, make sure to check out the ESPN Radio app, available for the iPad.

ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi will join ESPN’s studio coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, replacing seven-year host Trey Wingo. Negandhi, along with veteran analysts Kara Lawson and Carolyn Peck, will be in ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studio for first- and second-round and regional action, as well as on-site in New Orleans for ESPN’s Final Four coverage.

Negandhi, Lawson and Peck will take to the air this Sunday as part of ESPN’s Play 4Kay initiative. On Monday, the trio will move from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios to the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., site of No. 3 Baylor at No. 1 Connecticut (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2), part of Big Monday Presented by Bud Light.

In the Front & Center podcast above, Negandhi talks about his dream of being a SportsCenter anchor; the prospect of playing pick-up basketball with Peck and Lawson; ESPN’s role in the growth of women’s basketball and more.

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Filed in: Front & Center, Podcast

posted by Rachel Margolis on February 11, 2013 3:43 PM

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Behind the scenes of ESPN’s coverage of Louisville-Notre Dame’s 5OT college basketball thriller

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Samantha Ponder interviews Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey after the Irish defeated Louisville in five overtimes on Saturday. (ESPN)

ESPN was able to capture another historic night on the hardwood when the host, No. 25 Notre Dame topped No. 11 Louisville, 104-101 in five overtimes this past Saturday.

The game ended in regulation tied at 60 before both teams powered through the extra sessions making for 3 hours and 40 minutes of riveting television. ESPN’s Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Samantha Ponder had the call of the Top 25 matchup and the College GameDay presented by State Farm crew of Rece Davis, Jay Bilas and Digger Phelps were also on hand to witness the excitement.

Veteran ESPN producer Phil Dean was in the truck making the critical calls to get the viewers the best possible view from Purcell Pavilion. While Dean was not on-hand for the unforgettable 6 overtime game between Connecticut and Syracuse during the Big East Championship in 2009, he did produce the seven-overtime Arkansas football win over Ole Miss in 2001. So, five overtimes is nothing to him – well, almost nothing!

When a game goes into OT, what normal procedures have to be executed regarding air time, commercials, etc.? What communications are made?
The associate director works with Bristol on commercial breaks but we are very flexible. At the end of this regulation, we made the decision to stay and show a highlight of ND’s Jerian Grant, who scored 12 points in 45 seconds to lead the Irish comeback. The first called timeout of each overtime is a media timeout. Again, we can choose on-site whether or not we want to stay or go based on what had happened in the telecast.

As each additional OT took place, what other concerns come to the forefront? How is your “game plan” altered? continue reading…

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Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by Rachel Margolis on December 3, 2012 12:14 PM

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Participating in Jimmy V Classic special for Maryland’s Frese, whose son Tyler battles leukemia