When you think of your typical “SNL” host, you probably imagine movie stars, television actors or music personalities. But did you know more than 30 athletes have hosted NBC’s late night sketch comedy series over the past five decades? Indeed, all of the biggest names in sports have graced Studio 8H for a night of laughs and gags, including Bill Russell, John Madden, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Dwayne Johnson.
While the vast majority of hosts from the world of sports have been male, three female athletes have also entertained audiences: Chris Evert, Nancy Kerrigan and Ronda Rousey. The most recent addition to the list was Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, who took his turn as emcee in March 2023. Scroll through our “SNL” gallery below to see all 35 athletes who hosted “Saturday Night Live.”
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Fran Tarkenton
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: Jan. 29, 1977
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O.J. Simpson
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: Feb. 25, 1978
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Bill Russell
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Basketball player
Host date: Nov. 3, 1979
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John Madden
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football coach/sportscaster
Host date: Jan. 30, 1982
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Bob Uecker
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Baseball player/sportscaster
Host date: Oct. 13, 1984
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Alex Karras
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: Feb. 2, 1985
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Hulk Hogan and Mr. T
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Wrestlers
Host date: March 30, 1985
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Howard Cosell
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Sportscaster
Host date: April 13, 1985
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Billy Martin
Image Credit: Bettmann / Contributor Baseball player
Host date: May 24, 1986
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Joe Montana and Walter Payton
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football players
Host date: Jan. 24, 1987
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Wayne Gretzky
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Hockey player
Host date: May 13, 1989
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Chris Evert
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Tennis player
Host date: Nov. 11, 1989
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George Steinbrenner
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Baseball owner
Host date: Oct. 20, 1990
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Michael Jordan
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Basketball player
Host date: Sep. 28, 1991
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Charles Barkley
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Basketball player
Host dates: Sep. 25, 1993, Jan. 9, 2010, Jan. 7, 2012, March 3, 2018
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Nancy Kerrigan
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Figure skater
Host date: March 12, 1994
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George Foreman
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Boxer
Host date: Dec. 17, 1994
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Deion Sanders
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: Feb. 18, 1995
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Dwayne Johnson
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Wrestler
Host dates: March 18, 2000, April 13 2002, March 7, 2009, March 28, 2015, May 20, 2017
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Derek Jeter
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Baseball player
Host date: Dec. 1, 2001
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Jonny Moseley
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Freestyle skier
Host date: Mar. 2, 2002
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Jeff Gordon
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Racecar driver
Host date: Jan. 11, 2003
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Andy Roddick
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Tennis player
Host date: Nov. 8, 2003
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Tom Brady
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: April 16, 2005
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Lance Armstrong
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Cyclist
Host date: Oct. 29, 2005
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Peyton Manning
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: Mar. 24, 2007
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LeBron James
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Basketball player
Host date: Sep. 29, 2007
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Michael Phelps
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Olympic swimmer
Host date: Sep. 13, 2008
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Eli Manning
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: May 5, 2012
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Ronda Rousey
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Wrestler
Host date: Jan. 23, 2016
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John Cena
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Wrestler
Host date: Dec. 10, 2016
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J.J. Watt
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Football player
Host date: Feb. 1, 2020
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Travis Kelce
Image Credit: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC Football player
Host date: March 4, 2023
