On Feb. 2, NSU women’s athletics welcomed ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson as the key note speaker for the annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day Luncheon in the Don Taft University Center arena.
Jacobson was presented with NSU’s Pioneer Award, given to individuals with substantial contributions to the sports industry. She also shared her life story with NSU’s female athletes and invited guests.
Jacobson spoke about the lack of women in the sports industry, which she noticed growing up.
“You never saw women in sports. It was very rare,” she said.
Jacobson said the first year she played for her school’s soccer team, she was one of three girls on the team. The second year, she was the only girl.
“I wasn’t afraid to stand out,” she said.
However, she said there have been improvements throughout the years. When Jacobson arrived in California to work for the Sacramento Kings radio station earlier on in her career, she was the only woman employed. She said when she left, every sports station in the area had at least one woman employee.
The co-host of ESPN’s “First Take,” who has worked with the network since 2002, said she has faced criticism for being a woman in the field. However, she said the experiences made her stronger. She said she learned not to care about critics because she was confident in her abilities.
“It toughened me,” she said. “I knew what I was doing.”
Golfer, Mona Fredrika Hakansson said she appreciated Jacobson’s speech.
“Oh, she was very inspiring, definitely,” said Hakansson. “She really seems like she is a very progressive woman. She sent out the message that you really can do anything you set your mind to.”
Jacobson graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s in English and communications. Her favorite sport to cover, at the professional and college level, is football.
