Jalen Rose lands prominent new media gig

Just over a year after getting laid off by ESPN, Jalen Rose is headed back to the airwaves.

Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post reported this week that the former NBA swingman-turned-analyst Rose has a noteworthy new gig. He will be joining NBC Sports as part of their coverage of Big Ten men’s basketball.

Rose is set to serve as a studio analyst for “Big Ten College Countdown” beginning this Friday, Glasspiegel adds. The program will air on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.

The 51-year-old Rose confirmed the news as well in a post to his X page, writing, “Excited to join @NBCSports.”

Rose, who previously starred in the Big Ten as part of Michigan’s iconic “Fab Five,” played in the NBA from 1994-2007 before retiring. He then went into broadcasting, most notably working for ESPN from 2007-23. That included regular appearances on their TV programs (including shows such as “NBA Countdown” and “Get Up!”) and on his own radio show “Jalen & Jacoby.”

But Rose ended up getting let go by ESPN in June 2023 (under somewhat awkward circumstances) as part of widespread layoffs of their on-air talent in order to cut costs. Rose was just in the news again earlier this week for a hilarious moment at an NBA game, and now he is officially set to return to the national media scene.