Vox’s Layoffs Impact SB Nation’s Secret Base

Over the past five years, Vox Media has experienced multiple rounds of layoffs, significantly impacting the sports division, especially at SB Nation and the college football vertical Banner Society. Following earlier cuts this year that affected Vox.com and the wider sales team, the latest round of layoffs has resulted in three job eliminations at Secret Base, including those of Kofie Yeboah and Steven Godfrey.

Awful Announcing obtained an email to employees from YuJung Kim, Vox Media’s group publisher for The Dodo and SB Nation:

Hi everyone,

I wanted to inform you that we have eliminated three roles on the Secret Base team. The affected employees have been notified. These changes were not made lightly and were necessary to ensure Secret Base operates sustainably within SB Nation. With our focus on growing sponsorship sales and Patreon subscribers, I am confident we can achieve that. I am thankful for the contributions our departing team members made to Secret Base. Please understand this decision impacts only the Secret Base team, and no other roles at SB Nation are affected. However, I recognize that team changes can create uncertainty, and I am available to answer any questions or provide broader context.

Currently, Godfrey and Yeboah are the only Secret Base employees who have publicly confirmed their departures. Godfrey, who joined SB Nation in 2011 and became a full-time member in 2013, shared his exit on Bluesky and hinted at a new project with fellow alum Ryan Nanni:

1. It’s graduation day: After 12 years I’m done at Vox Media. Most of @secretbase.bsky.social will continue on (Banner Society will not)

— Steven Godfrey (@stevengodfrey.bsky.social) February 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM

3. In 2024 myself and @celebrityhottub.bsky.social launched “Who Killed College Football?,” and its success has inspired us to continue pushing the format of audio storytelling.

— Steven Godfrey (@stevengodfrey.bsky.social) February 11, 2025 at 3:16 PM

Something new is coming. If you want to be the first to know: tinyurl.com/5n9xfruh

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— Steven Godfrey (@stevengodfrey.bsky.social) February 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM

Yeboah, who had been with SB Nation for over eight years, also announced his departure on Bluesky and YouTube:

After 8 years at Vox Media/SB Nation/Secret Base, I have been laid off. Thank you all for the support throughout the years, and I hope you join me for whatever is next. Secret Base will continue to create amazing content, and I am honored to have been part of it.

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— Kofie (@kofie.bsky.social) February 11, 2025 at 3:59 PM

AA has also reported that another behind-the-scenes employee from Secret Base was let go, and we’ll update if any announcements are made. Notably, key figures like Jon Bois and executive producer Will Buikema remain, but the Secret Base team is now reduced to around nine or ten members, marking a cut of over 20 percent of their staff.

Vox Media’s substantial layoffs began around the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 9% company-wide furloughs announced in April 2020, primarily affecting SB Nation due to the pause in sports events. These furloughs resulted in a significant talent exodus, causing the once-prominent sports site to fall off the radar for many. Post-2020, SB Nation has faced continuous setbacks, particularly with the Banner Society launch, which initially seemed promising but suffered due to the layoffs and departures, leading to its permanent closure in 2021. Godfrey was the last person associated with it still at SB Nation.

Furthermore, SB Nation’s leadership has been in turmoil; after the announcement of hiring an SVP in July 2019, Jermaine Spradley was only appointed over a year later, and additional executives were added amidst ongoing talent loss. Spradley exited in January without a clear successor. Other dramatic cuts have occurred beyond college football, with several team sites shuttered in 2022 and further closures as part of 7% layoffs across Vox in January 2023. The recent disbandment of a podcast network also contributed to the losses, with many affected individuals finding success in projects elsewhere. Meanwhile, Vox has sought donations, tried paid newsletters, entered AI collaborations, and divested from other sites to stabilize operations.

Three layoffs at a media site may not seem significant nationally, but they underscore a trend of gradual cuts at Vox, particularly with several rounds happening in recent months. We will observe how Vox executes its strategy to make Secret Base a sustainable brand within SB Nation with its reduced workforce.