Simone Eli comes to WKRG News 5 with more than a decade of experience in the sports television business – much of that time spent in Alabama.
Prior to coming to Mobile, Simone was a sports anchor/reporter at CBS 42 in Birmingham for 5 years. While in Magic City, Simone co-hosted “College Football Saturday,” earning a Southeast EMMY for Best Live Sports Program in 2021. In addition, Simone earned several AP and ABBY awards for her sports reporting and storytelling. Simone has traveled all around the country covering SEC Football, College Football Playoffs, Heisman Trophy Ceremony and the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Simone spent two years as a sports anchor/reporter at KPRC 2 (NBC) in Houston, Texas. While at KPRC, Simone primarily covered Houston’s professional sports scene, as well as college and high school football.
She is no stranger to the Gulf Coast, having started her full-time television career in Mobile as the Sports Director at WALA (FOX 10). There Simone covered historic college football games including the “Kick-6” and BCS National Championship Game. Her first job in the broadcast business was as a TV analyst and reporter for Buckeye Cable Sports Network in Toledo, Ohio.
Simone is from Genoa, Ohio. She attended Bowling Green State University – where she played on the D-1 basketball team, while earning her Master’s of Education in Sports Administration and Bachelor of Science in Journalism. During her playing days, the Falcons won 3 Mid-American Conference Championships and made the NCAA Tournament twice. Simone is married to Bart Sessions, the head football coach at Alma Bryant High School, GO CANES!
