Olivia Harlan
Olivia Harlan
Olivia Harlan on ACC All Access on Fox Sports Florida
Olivia Harlan (born April 9, 1993) is an ESPN sports reporter based out of Los Angeles, California. She currently covers college football for the SEC Network team of Taylor Zarzour and Andre Ware.
Early Life
Olivia Harlan grew up in Mission Hills, Kansas a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas. In 2010, Harlan won the Miss Kansas Teen USA beauty pageant at the age of 17. Harlan comes from a football family, her grandfather, Bob Harlan, was the CEO of the Green Bay Packers for 19 years. Her inspiration to become a sports reporter came from her father, Kevin Harlan, who is a sports announcer who has called both NBA and NFL games for major networks.
Personal Life
Olivia Harlan and her boyfriend Sam Dekker
Olivia Harlan shares a passion for sports with her fiance Sam Dekker who plays basketball for the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team. The couple got engaged in May 2017 and are planning to hold their wedding on July 14, 2018 in Door County, Wisconsin. Harlan and Dekker decided to hold their wedding in Northeast Wisconsin since they both have ties to the area and spend their off-season there. Dekker grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin while Harlan's grandfather was the CEO of the Green Bay Packers. The couple have asked their wedding guests to donate to the Children’s Cancer Family Foundation of Northeast Wisconsin instead of giving wedding gifts. The nonprofit, which helps families dealing with pediatric cancer by organizing fun events to lift spirits and providing financial assistance, is a favorite of Dekker and Harlan, who have been supporters since 2014.
Olivia Harlan's hobbies include singing and wine. Her favorite wine is Cabernet Sauvignon and she aspires to open her own vineyard in the South France. She also enjoys making spicy margaritas. To make her favorite drink she marinates a large pitcher of silver tequila with half a jar of jalapenos and all the jalapeno juice overnight in the refrigerator. Then she adds fresh mint, fresh lime and a small amount of club soda, served in martini glasses with crushed ice and a small amount of cayenne pepper on top.
Education
Olivia Harlan previews UGA vs Troy 2014
Olivia Harlan graduated with honors from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in digital and broadcast journalism from the Grady College of Journalism. While in college, Harlan covered Georgia Bulldogs athletics for IMG’s georgiadogs.com, where she created and hosted “Dawg Sitting,” a weekly profile on a different football player, served as the football beat reporter and host of “Game Day” on Saturday mornings from Sanford Stadium. In her final semester at UGA she began working as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports South covering SEC football games. During her time at UGA Harlan was also a member of the Kappa Delta sorority.
Career
Olivia Harlan joined ESPN in 2015 as a sideline reporter for college football games. She is currently a football reporter for the SEC Network team of Taylor Zarzour and Andre Ware.
Harlan was previously a sideline reporter for the Green Bay Packers preseason games on Packers TV Network, and a host of ACC All-Access and sideline reporter for Atlanta Hawks games on Fox Sports South.
Prior to ESPN, Harlan covered ACC and SEC football for Fox Sports South and Raycom as a reporter in 2014. In 2013, she co-hosted a daily web series on packers.com for the Green Bay Packers training camp as the team reporter.