ESPN college football sideline reporter Holly Rowe is being attacked by fans over a seemingly innocuous exchange with Miami’s Malachi Toney.
‘Holly Rowe genuinely believes she’s bigger than the players and coaches,’ one irate fan fumed on X following Miami’s 41-13 win over ACC rival Clemson on Saturday night.
Although neither Toney nor the Hurricanes have voiced any displeasure over the exchange, fans were angered by a brief comment Rowe made as she ended her interview with quarterback Darian Mensah to speak with Toney.
‘Malachi,’ Rowe began as she turned to her left, only to discover Toney busy exchanging a hug with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
‘Oh, he’s talking to Dabo, mid-interview,’ the smiling Rowe said before Toney turned back towards the cameras.
To many, the ‘mid-interview’ comment proved to be a step too far.
Rowe’s seemingly innocuous comment drew the ire of college football fans on Saturday
Malachi Toney had a relatively quiet game Saturday with five catches in the win
‘She literally is complaining about Toney hugging Dabo ‘mid’ interview,’ read the viral post from a self-described member of Miami’s Class of 2027. ‘Every week she makes it about herself.’
Rowe was already facing criticism from college football fans – not for something she did, but rather for a remark Texas quarterback Arch Manning made about her.
While discussing an awkward post-game exchange between Rowe and Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian after Texas’ September 12 win over Ohio State, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning referred to a phony AI clip that showed her being punched in the face. The comment led Manning and local reporters to share in a round of laughter before the Longhorns quarterback ultimately issued an apology.
At no point did Rowe make any public complaints about the AI clip or Manning’s reference to it. Instead, she simply accepted the apology and urged everyone to ‘move forward with respect and kindness for one another.’
The video was generated based on this post-game interaction between reporter Holly Rowe and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who blew off an interview and flashed a ‘Hook Em’ sign
Manning laughed with reporters in the room when discussing an AI video showing Sarkisian backhand slapping Rowe, who never publicly complained about the clip or the comment
However, Rowe has continued to face hateful messages from fans, which continued over the weekend following Miami’s win.
‘The media and officials have an inherent need to be the center of attention by trying to make it about them for one reason or another,’ read one furious post on X.
‘It was unprofessional and disrespectful on her part,’ another added.
One critic went so far as to unironically describe her as a ‘horrible human.’
But Rowe does have her defenders, who accused her critics of ‘rage baiting.’
‘Yall really just be creating reasons to be mad at women,’ one fan responded on X.
‘I didn’t see anything wrong by her,’ another added.
‘How is that complaining?’ one fan asked. ‘She’s doing an interview and doesn’t know if Dabo is in the shot so she’s informing the audience.’
Another Canes fan described Holly Rowe as ‘an utmost professional who is highly regarded by the media and athletes alike.’
Rowe has been at ESPN in one capacity or another since 1995 and also frequently covers the WNBA. She recently lost her mother, which she revealed to her followers last month.
‘We buried my beautiful Mother today,’ Rowe wrote on X. ‘We honored her with the things she loves most…Dr. Pepper, Purple, Butterflies released and music.
‘So grateful for my amazing family. We laughed, cried and loved on each other today. Love you Momma, You raised an amazing family.’
