Beating Cancer, ESPN's Holly Rowe Announces Once-in-a-Lifetime College Football Opportunity for Someone Battling the Same Disease

For ESPN’s Holly Rowe, college football has become more than just a sport, especially after her own battle with cancer. The joy she has found through the game is now inspiring her to create a special experience for someone facing a similarly difficult chapter in life.

Holly Rowe has announced a special initiative with the Joy+US Foundation, giving someone battling cancer or facing other health challenges an opportunity to attend the 2026 Heisman Trophy Awards in New York City. The selected recipient will receive an all-expenses-paid trip along with a loved one during the weekend of December 12, making it the foundation’s third year of offering this special experience.

Sharing the reason behind the initiative, Rowe spoke about the happiness college football brings her and her desire to pass that feeling on to others.

“Now, college football is where I get a lot of my joy from, and so we want to take you and a loved one to the Heisman Trophy celebration. I believe it is the most joy-filled celebration in all of college football. Every year it is transformative to someone’s life,” Holly Rowe said.

Holly Rowe's inspiring victory over cancer just opened an extraordinary door for someone fighting the same battle. Subscribe to stay updated on this life changing opportunity and the stories that matter most.

She also encouraged people to apply and experience the celebration for themselves.

“So please go to our website, apply for this trip, and we cannot wait to see you and spread a little joy to your holiday season,” Rowe added.

Rowe’s connection to the initiative is personal. In May 2015, the ESPN reporter was diagnosed with desmoplastic melanoma, a rare and fast-spreading form of skin cancer.

The cancer later spread to her armpit and eventually reached her lungs in 2016. Doctors found tumors there, beginning a difficult period of treatment while she continued covering sports.

Rowe later joined a clinical trial at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and received regular immunotherapy infusions. From August 2016 to August 2018, she traveled to Los Angeles every 21 days for treatment.

UCLA Health reported that her lung tumors began shrinking within three months. By the end of treatment, the largest had decreased from 21 millimeters to 3 millimeters, and doctors believed the remaining mass was likely scar tissue.

Even during treatment, Rowe continued working on the sidelines. Sports gave her something meaningful to focus on while her health was uncertain.

In a 2024 interview with Deseret News, Rowe recalled being diagnosed with inoperable tumors in her lungs shortly before a major college football assignment. Despite the news, she chose to go to work, saying that being around football made her happy.

During treatment, she also started a joy journal to keep track of the little things that lifted her spirits. The practice helped her hold on to positive moments while dealing with the uncertainty of her illness.

In 2024, Rowe shared that her tumors were gone, although she clarified that she was not in remission and continued to undergo regular scans.

Her experience also led her to establish the Joy+US Foundation. The nonprofit’s mission draws on the lessons she learned during treatment, including the importance of finding happiness through difficult times.

Its Joy Journeys give people facing health challenges and other hardships opportunities to enjoy experiences they might not otherwise have.

The Heisman trip is one example. The foundation says this is its third year offering an all-expenses-paid journey to someone facing a difficult season. The 2026 invitation includes people undergoing cancer treatment and those dealing with other health challenges.

The Heisman ceremony brings together major names in college football, but Rowe’s invitation is about more than the event. For someone navigating treatment, the trip offers a chance to make a lasting memory with a loved one.

Having experienced the uncertainty of a serious cancer diagnosis herself, Holly Rowe understands how meaningful moments of happiness can be during difficult times. Through the Joy+US Foundation, she is extending that opportunity to someone else, using the college football celebration that brings her joy to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a person who needs it.

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