Jemele Hill, a former ESPN personality, recently criticized the network for inviting Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to appear on "College GameDay" to discuss the bipartisan "Save College Sports Act." Hill posted on X, "Did not know ESPN had become a political lobbying firm."
Critics, however, have pointed to Hill's own history of political commentary and activism during her tenure at ESPN. They argue her criticism is hypocritical given the network's past engagement with political issues and Hill's own prominent role in them.
During her time co-hosting "SC6 with Michael Smith," Hill and her co-host reportedly discussed divisive political ideologies, with a focus on race, and promoted Black Lives Matter. In July 2016, Hill and Smith discussed Minnesota Lynx players wearing Black Lives Matter shirts and leaving a WNBA game, with Hill arguing for police accountability.
ESPN tapped Hill to moderate its August 2016 town hall, "Athletes, Responsibility and Violence," which specifically addressed athletes, guns, violence, and law enforcement. In 2017, Hill made public comments critical of police, then-President Donald Trump, and conservatives, asserting that the "policing & judicial system are institutionally racist" and endorsed the idea that law enforcement needed reform. She also agreed with Colin Kaepernick's comparison of police to "slave patrols."
Hill's comment calling Trump a "white supremacist" in 2017 prompted ESPN to issue a public statement distancing itself from her remarks.
In addition to Hill's past actions, critics cite other instances of ESPN's political involvement. Former ESPN personality Elle Duncan protested Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' "Don’t Say Gay" bill live on air in 2022, pausing programming in "solidarity" with those affected by the legislation. The network also celebrated Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, during Women's History Month in 2023, an act critics deemed divisive and politically partisan.
Furthermore, "College GameDay" hosted Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro in 2025 during a visit to the University of Pittsburgh, an appearance that Hill did not publicly address. Critics suggest this selective criticism aligns with Hill's own narrative rather than a consistent stance against political commentary on sports networks.
According to reports, Senator Cruz's appearance on "College GameDay" was to discuss the "chaos" in college sports stemming from issues like Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations and the transfer portal. Those who support the discussion argue that it is not inherently divisive or politically partisan, unlike the instances cited involving Hill and ESPN's previous political statements and actions. Mosaic of Jemele Hill speaking onstage during the 56th NAACP Image Awards Benefit Concert in February 2025.