Why is Neil Everett leaving ESPN? Exploring possible reasons behind SportsCenter anchor's exit

All things must come to an end, even the good ones. Neil Everett's time at ESPN is up, and the iconic SportsCenter icon departs from the network after over two decades. Everett and his longtime friend and co-anchor, Stan Verrett, have made SportsCenter their playground for ages, but that's about to end.

Sources say that Neil Everett is leaving ESPN because the network offered him a reduced salary, and he subsequently turned it down. It is similar to what happened with Kenny Mayne in 2021. Other sources speculate that Everett's contract still needs to be renewed.

Everett himself said on the matter:

“ESPN changed my life, but now it’s time for me to change my life. Time to write a new chapter.”

It could be as simple as this being the right time to move on after 23 years.

However, according to an ESPN spokesman, Everett's contract was not being renewed. The last time Everett accepted an agreement by ESPN was in July 2021, when he signed a new deal alongside the likes of Verrett, Ashley Brewer, and Linda Cohn.

Everett's upcoming departure will not affect Verrett, Brewer, and Cohn's roles at ESPN's Los Angeles studio operation.

On Everett's departure, his longtime partner and friend, Verrett, tweeted,

"I started at ESPN in 2000, a few months after Neil Everett. We joined 'SportsCenter' from LA in 2009. For 14 years, he was the best teammate I could imagine. Selfless, caring, generous, and a pro's pro. He's moving on now, but we are brothers for life. That’ll never change.”

Neil Everett's net worth in 2023

Neil Everett has an estimated net worth of $4 million. The famous sportscaster has an annual salary of $700 thousand, and he is very good at his job.

Everett was born in Portland, Oregon, USA. He a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and started his broadcasting career working for KCST-FM in Oregon.

Everett then left broadcasting for a career in educational athletics, moving to Hawaii to become the athletic administrator at Hawaii Pacific University. He remained in the job for 15 years.

Following this, Everett returned to broadcasting, serving as a sports director and reporter for KGMB in Honolulu. He auditioned for ESPN in 2000 and was immediately hired as a sports anchor.

Everett became the late-night co-anchor for SportsCenter in Los Angles in 2009. He maintained that job until 2023, when it was announced that he would depart the network after 23 years.