This is a list of current and former SportsCenter segments seen since that show debuted on September 7, 1979.
Segments Current In-show B Barry's Best – Former NHL coach Barry Melrose picks his top hockey highlights of the night which are divided into the top goals, saves, and hits. This segment returned in 2009, when Melrose rejoined ESPN. This was ended when Melrose retired from the network in 2023. Baseball Tonight Extra – A segment showing highlights of Major League Baseball games currently in progress at the time of a given SportsCenter broadcast. The highlights that are shown are presented by the evening's host and analyst of Baseball Tonight. This segment was discontinued after the 2013 MLB season. Break Down – A nightly segment in which an analyst breaks down a certain key game in the world of sports; the segment is sponsored by McDonald's. By the Numbers – A segment featuring numerical stats (for example, 27 – the number of World Series championships won by the New York Yankees).
C Call of the Day – Often seen during the "Top Ten" segment, this features a call from a play-by-play and/or color commentator from a radio and/or television sports broadcast benefiting from the day's sports highlight. Chevy Clubhouse (formerly Diamond Cutters) – A segment in which baseball analysts are asked questions involving baseball, similar to "Coors Light Cold Hard Facts" and "Gatorade Cooler Talk." This segment, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, is seen during the baseball season. Chris Berman's 2-Minute Drill – In this weekly segment, which airs on Fridays during the NFL season, Berman previews the week's top NFL matchups, and takes his picks from that week's key games (for example, the St. Louis Rams and the Miami Dolphins). "Swami Slate" (Berman's records for the week and season) and "Swami Sez" (Berman's game picks) are usually seen towards the end of the segment. Closing Number – This segment, which is seen at the end of the 6:00 p.m. ET editions, shows a particular statistic – the day's "closing number" (for example: 19,921, the number of SportsCenter broadcasts from Studio A of the ESPN studios (where the program was produced from 1994 to 2004, before it moved to the Digital Center on June 7, 2004)). Contender or Pretender – Usually an analyst(s) will debate whether a team can contend for a pennant, division, or championship. Coors Light Cold Hard Facts – A series of six questions directed to an analyst on a certain sport. Credits Roll – Traditionally airs after the Christmas Eve 11 p.m. broadcast or thereabouts; a complete closing credits package featuring the names of all 7,000+ employees in each ESPN division worldwide set to Christmas carols customized to feature accents from the SportsCenter theme and This is SportsCenter ads (the This is SportsCenter ads were replaced by memorable sports moments from the past year due to ESPN replacing This is SportsCenter with "My Life, My Team" in 2024). The 2011 version filled an entire half-hour timeslot. Cup of Joe –
D Did You Know? – At the end of each show, an interesting and usually hardly known fact would be presented regarding a major issue in the sports headlines that day. This segment is now seen during (but not at the end of) the program on occasion. Dilfer's Dimes – After every week of NFL football play, this segment was presented by Trent Dilfer, in which he analyzed the best quarterback throws for that week. This segment was discontinued following the 2016 NFL season. Doin' Too Much – this segment, which debuted February 6, 2017 on the revamped 6:00 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter and was carried over from their former show, His & Hers, co-presenters Michael Smith and Jemele Hill count down the day's moments in which people are "Doin' Too Much." The segment was discontinued after Hill's departure from the show and also, after the final SC6 show aired on February 2, 2018.
E ESPN Deportes Update – An ESPN Deportes personality provides highlights of sporting events outside of the United States. This segment is seen during the late editions of SportsCenter.
F Fact or Fiction – Usually an analyst(s) will debate whether something is plausible or not (for example, Sammy Sosa will make the Hall of Fame). Film Session – Seen on Mondays during the NFL season, with ESPN NFL analyst Merrill Hoge. Football Fix – A segment that focuses on all of the day's news in either college football or the NFL.; seen during the football season. Friday Funnies – A segment shown on Fridays at the end of the overnight editions in which the three funniest plays from the week's sporting events are shown. This segment is sponsored by GEICO.
G Game Count – This segment, which was very similar in concept to "Closing Number," shows the number of games a certain player or team has played in entering that day; it was seen on the 6 p.m. ET editions until it was discontinued sometime in 2009. Gatorade Cooler Talk – Seen on SportsCenter and during ESPN telecasts of NBA games, reporters of various sports are asked questions involving certain news stories; this segment is similar to "Coors Light Cold Hard Facts" and "Chevy Clubhouse." GMC Postgame – Suzy Kolber and Steve Young recap the night's Monday Night Football game, along with highlights and analysis from the site of that night's game. Good Call, Bad Call – A segment seen on Tuesdays during the college football season, with ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit; this segment is sponsored by Miller Lite.
H Hammerin' Hank – This segment features Hank Goldberg providing his picks for the week's upcoming NFL games; it is seen on Sunday mornings during the NFL season. Hard in the Paint – This segment, which debuted February 6, 2017 on the premiere edition of SC6, displayed moments where athletes were going "hard in the paint," or doing a lot at one moment. Like the aforementioned "Doin' Too Much" segment, this too, was discontinued after February 2, 2018. Hardly the Usual Top Ten (formerly the Not Top Ten) – This segment features the 10 worst plays of the week in sports (the opposite of the "Top Ten"). However, this had been retitled "Hardly the Usual Top Ten" in later weeks, due to sponsorship from Mike's Hard Lemonade. In that case, some of the plays featured could be good as well as bad. In either case, the background music seen in the segment was much more goofier than the normally upbeat background music in a standard Top Ten. This segment was discontinued in 2007, but returned in 2009 as a Friday segment (see "Not Top Ten" further down this page). Hummer Press Pass – This segment, first introduced in the spring of 2007, gave viewers an all-access pass to a certain school preparing for the upcoming college football season. This segment also focused on a variety of different subjects, such as the MLB trade deadline winners and losers. This segment was discontinued in 2009.
I Inside the Huddle – This segment is hosted by NFL insider John Clayton, in which he provides updates on the news and notes from around the league. It was formerly hosted by Chris Mortensen. "I Love Week ____" – This segment, which was seen towards the end of the Sunday night edition of SportsCenter through the NFL season, was a barrage of thinly related football highlights linked together with awkwardly worded lyrics to the tune of the short-lived Coors Light commercials which were related to that week's action (the trademark line "...and twins!" was also featured in these highlight songs). This segment was discontinued after the 2005 NFL season and was replaced by the "NFL Blitz" segment, which in turn, debuted in the first week of the 2006 NFL season on September 10 of that year.
K Keys to Victory – Seen on Mondays after Monday Night Football during the NFL season, Sean Salisbury joins the show for post-game analysis. This segment, which is sponsored by GMC, ends with the Keys to Victory poll. King of the Night – Presented "your way" by Burger King; this segment is seen on Tuesdays. Kiss It Goodbye - This segment showcases MLB players hitting home runs. If there are many home runs that day, it usually shows the ones which go further.
M Midweek Exam – Seen on Wednesdays during the football season (from September to December) with ESPN NFL analyst Merrill Hoge. Miller Lite Countdown to Kickoff – Seen towards the end of SportsCenter Monday Kickoff with ESPN NFL analyst and former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka. This segment was discontinued at the end of 2012.
N "NASCAR Now" Pit Pass – News from the day in NASCAR, presented by the evening's host and analysts of NASCAR Now. This segment was seen during the NASCAR (Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series) season until the network's contract with NASCAR ended in 2014. NFL Blitz – Airing on the Sunday 11:00 p.m. ET editions during the NFL season, Chris Berman and Tom Jackson present clips of some of the NFL games from that day, with Boomer Esiason and T.J. giving their analysis of the game, similar to NFL Primetime. The segment is sponsored by Nike. NFL Field Pass – In this weekly segment, which airs on Thursdays and Fridays during the NFL season, the league's top games for the weekend are previewed. Contributors for this segment include John Clayton, Ron Jaworski, Mark Schlereth, and Sean Salisbury. NFL Quick Hits – A segment featuring daily headlines from around the league; it is seen during the NFL season. Not Top Ten – Revived in 2009 as a weekly segment, this is a Friday segment that takes a look at the 10 worst plays of the day, week, month or year in sports (the opposite of the "Top Ten"). The goofy background music is played during this segment, much like its aforementioned predecessor, "Hardly the Usual Top Ten."
O Off The Top Rope – Hosted mostly by then-former WWE employee Jonathan Coachman but sometimes by other former WWE employees Todd Grisham (who left ESPN at the end of 2016) and Max Bretos when Coachman is out or on an assignment. The segment aired on Wednesday night. It featured highlights of Monday Night RAW, SmackDown Live, and pay-per-view events. The segment also featured an interview with a current or former WWE wrestler. The segment was discontinued following Coachman's departure from ESPN in October 2017. One Big Thing – This segment, which appears in SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, features Van Pelt talking about his "one big thing" from the previous day in sports. This is usually a story line which will be a large part of the show.
P PTI's Big Finish: Pardon the Interruption hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon (both of whom are referred to by the anchors as the "PTI Guys") debate one sports topic, followed by the "Big Finish." This segment, which debuted in the summer of 2005, is seen only on the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter every weeknight (except when PTI is pre-empted by other programming, such as golf). "PTI's Big Finish" was discontinued in 2011, when PTI reverted to its original format. PTI Debate: Kornheiser and Wilbon debate one sports topic for 60 seconds. This segment, which replaced the aforementioned "PTI Big Finish" segment in 2011, was discontinued in 2016, but returned two years later (2018, when the 6pm ET SportsCenter returned to its previous format following the failed SC6 experiment in 2017). Pump Up The Volume: A segment in which certain sports highlights are shown, along with the radio call from the play-by-play announcers of the team benefiting from the highlight (such as a touchdown pass, field goal block, etc.).
Q Question of the Night – A segment in which the night's poll question, along with the choices, are seen on both SportsCenter and ESPN.com (for example, "Who do you think Ohio State's opponent will be in the BCS title game? A. Michigan; B. Notre Dame; C. USC; D. Florida"). Results of the poll question are shown either at the end of the show or at the end of the following night's show.
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