The start of 2025 has been relatively quiet for The Athletic regarding talent departures, especially following a highly active 2024. However, that changed on Monday when longtime Penn State beat writer Audrey Snyder announced her exit from the New York Times-owned outlet. While it’s unclear whether Snyder was laid off or if her contract wasn’t renewed, she shared that The Athletic is no longer interested in maintaining a full-time beat writer for the Nittany Lions.
So… After nearly 7 years at The Athletic, my time with the company has come to an end. They no longer want to cover Penn State with a full-time beat writer.
Proud of the work I did and the stories I told. Thank you to so many who subscribed.
Time to figure out what’s next!
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) April 7, 2025
Although The Athletic has shifted its focus towards a more national coverage approach following its acquisition by the Times, the move to discontinue a full-time beat writer for Penn State is still quite unexpected. Given the Nittany Lions’ strong performance, including an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinal and their status as national title contenders, one would likely expect them to rank high on a list of programs deserving dedicated coverage.
The college football landscape at The Athletic has experienced significant changes since the Times‘s takeover. Last year alone saw the departures of Ari Wasserman (on3), Nicole Auerbach (NBC Sports), and Max Olson (ESPN), despite the publication finding profitability while also bringing on former Associated Press columnist Ralph Russo as a national writer.
