Amanda Balionis has amassed thousands of fans for her sports broadcasting across both golf and the NFL, and her recent statement confirmed where her focus will lie for the next few months. She is known for her work as a golf broadcaster and interviewer, but she is now preparing for a new role. Amanda Balionis has been a mainstay on our screens for years - and she's now set for a new challenge. CBS reporter Amanda Balionis is saying goodbye to golf - for now.
In a wide-ranging interview from earlier this year, the broadcaster discussed the differences in working on the NFL compared to the PGA Tour. She discussed her love of both sports, and gave quite an eloquent answer about which sport she prefers to cover for work. Amanda Balionis has opened up and spoken about which of her two great loves is her favorite.
Speaking to The Golfer's Journal, she said: "I would say I'm inherently more of a football fan. Some of my youngest memories are football, it was the first sport I fell in love with. I'm very happy to sit on the couch all weekend and never move. But I would say I love covering golf... I wasn't a huge fan of watching golf growing up, so I learned to love this sport in a very different way. It ended up being a part of my life I could never imagine not having. I've totally fallen in love with it and the stories that we can tell."
Balionis will go back to her roots and cover the NFL on CBS for the next couple of months as the season gets underway, with fans buzzing to have the football back on their TV each week.
Amanda Balionis has been taking time away from golf and her role as a reporter on the PGA Tour after covering the final event of the season and spending time in New York. She's set to return to the NFL for the new season, which kicks off in two weeks. It seems she chose to spend some time in New York with friends, returning to the city where she graduated from Hofstra University.
Amanda Balionis, the cherished sports broadcaster renowned for her engaging interviews with golf's finest, has penned an emotional farewell, revealing her next career move, while also sharing an image of her and Rory McIlroy.
Her Farewell to Golf
The on-air journalist revealed she's switching focus from the fairway to the football field as she begins her role as an NFL sideline reporter for the upcoming season.
In a lengthy Instagram post, the 39-year-old spoke out about 'heart-shattering events' that occurred throughout her time covering the sport.
As fans will recall, she is believed to have separated from her husband, former Ravens quarterback Bryn Renner, and was later linked to Rory McIlroy.
'This year had it all. From historic moments to heart-shattering events and every other emotion you can imagine in between. I love this game. I love working in sports,' she began.
'Competing at the highest level requires and produces constant examples of inspiration, drama, unbridled joy, resilience, growth and teamwork,' Balionis went on.
'It's an honor to be a very small part of a tremendous team that brings these moments and stories to life each weekend. If we left you with one new favorite player, or one memorable moment you shared with loved ones than we have done our jobs. Catch ya on the NFL sidelines until next season!'
Her Time Covering Golf
Amanda Balionis is a hugely popular figure in the golfing world, but she is now set to move into a new sport after a successful few years with CBS. Renowned for establishing a strong rapport with leading golfers and her distinctive interview style that resonates with the sport of golf, Balionis is now set for a significant transition to covering NFL with CBS.
In addition to golf, Balionis has experience covering both NFL and college football. She even married Renner, a former football player, in 2022. However, they're believed to have called it quits sometime in 2024 as she removed her married name from her Instagram page.
She was then linked to McIlroy, who filed paperwork against Erica Stoll, the mother of his three-year-old daughter, before calling off the divorce one month later.
Back in June, the Irishman made a rare statement about his personal life.
'There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool's game,' McIlroy told The Guardian.
'Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.'
Her New Role Covering the NFL
Balionis decided to include Rory McIlroy in her goodbye to golf montage on social media just months after the two were rumored to be romantically linked. And, in essence, treated him just like everyone else.
Balionis had covered the NFL and college football before for CBS and has been a regular on the sidelines speaking to players and coaches throughout games over the years. She was known for the commentators throwing to her during the action to grab mid-game chats and exclusives with those at the heart of the action.
The reporter has posted a number of cryptic messages on social media recently, with some over-eager fans convinced they were aimed at McIlroy. Balionis had been on reporting duty when McIlroy spurned the chance to break his major duck at the U.S. Open in June.
Amanda Balionis and Rory McIlroy were rumored to be in a relationship earlier this year before the Northern Irishman did a U-turn on his decision to divorce wife Erica Stoll. Amanda Balionis included Rory McIlroy in her farewell to golf montage on social media, months after they were rumoured to have a romantic fling.
Her Time in New York
CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis took a few days off as the network she works for is not broadcasting the BMW Championship or the AIG Women's Open. Balionis decided to spend her off time in New York and shared some moments with her fans.
Amanda Balionis recently posted several photos on her Instagram Stories showing her enjoying her stay in New York. Her trip to NYC seems to be coming to an end, as she accompanied one of the photos with the following text:
In the images shared by Amanda Balionis, she can be seen sharing different sites in New York with friends. There is also a view of Manhattan with a rainbow above the skyscrapers.
In previous posts around her trip, Amanda Balionis left emotional comments about her days in New York (via The Spun):
Balionis has a strong connection to New York for several reasons. She studied at Hofstra University, just 29 miles from the city, and has worked for CBS Sports since 2017 which is headquartered in Manhattan.
As a result, she regularly shares her love for New York with her Instagram followers. Every time she visits the city, she usually posts expressions of happiness in her stories.
Amanda Balionis, 38, attended Kutztown University of Pennsylvania for two years before transferring to Hofstra University. During her time in college, she played volleyball, although she had played golf as a junior. She comes from a very golf-oriented family.
Balionis graduated in 2008 with a degree in broadcast journalism. Her first job as a sports reporter was covering high school sports for Verizon Fios Channel 1 and MSG Networks in her home state of Pennsylvania.
In 2011, she landed her first high-profile job when she was hired as an in-house reporter and host for the PGA Tour. She stayed there for five years until she landed a similar job with Callaway Golf.
Two years later, Balionis went to work for CBS Sports. She started as a part-time reporter but took the position full-time a year later. In addition to covering top-level golf events, primarily on the PGA Tour, Balionis also covers National Football League (NFL) games.
Amanda Balionis' Future
Amanda Balionis has shared six things she's grateful for during a trip to New York after wrapping up her final golf event of the year. Earlier this month, she announced in a farewell post that she had covered her last golf event of the year. Despite becoming one of the most recognizable faces in golf broadcasting, Balionis is taking a break from the sport to take on a different role in the coming weeks. She's set to return to the NFL for the new season, which kicks off in two weeks. It seems she chose to spend some time in New York with friends, returning to the city where she graduated from Hofstra University.
Balionis used Instagram to share how she's been enjoying her downtime in New York between her final golf event of the year and the start of the new NFL season. She posted a series of selfies and pictures of her out and about in New York with friends, as well as images of the city's skyline and the places she visited, reports the Mirror US.
Captioning the montage, she wrote: "And so concludes my summer in New York. The city that shaped me in my 20's, fortified me all these years later. Grateful for: All of the adventures with old friends and new. Dive bars. Endless wandering and discovering. Soup dumplings. A renewed desire to create both personally and professionally. Bodega coffee. Knowing I can always return to a city that fills my soul and feels like home".
Amanda Balionis is a cherished sports broadcaster known for her engaging interviews with top golfers and her ability to connect with athletes and viewers alike. With her upcoming transition to NFL coverage, her fans are eager to see her excel in this new role and anticipate her insightful analysis and unique style of storytelling. As she embarks on this exciting chapter, Balionis’s passion for sports broadcasting shines through, promising captivating moments on the NFL sidelines.
