Cheerful ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe posted news of a professionally painful setback today on Twitter when she announced a positive COVID-19 test is going to keep her home instead of on the field with ESPN’s top broadcast crew during Monday night’s national championship game.

“I was so excited after twenty-five years working college football for ABC and ESPN, I have been working really long and really hard, and I finally got called up to the A-team and was going to have the opportunity to work with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Maria Taylaor on the national championship game,” said Rowe during her short video. “But I’ve tested positive forCOVID and I’m definitely experiencing some symptoms and not feeling great.”

Rowe was obviously disappointed in the same way an athlete would be after working single-mindedly for years toward an ultimate goal only to have it ripped away at the last moment because of an injury or act of god. In the spirit of a top professional, Rowe expressed a mature understanding of her situation, a desire to get back on track as soon as she gets well, and revealed what she considered a pearl of advice offered her by women’s basketball great Rebecca Lobo regarding her setback. 

“I’m so sad, I’ve literally been building toward this moment my whole life,” said Rowe. “But Rebecca Lobo gave me great advice. She said, ‘perspective, it’s just a football game.’ So I’m doing well and recovering at home.There will be other games. Please say a little prayer for me, this definitely is not easy.”

Rowe said she planned to tweet from her couch during the game several nuggets from the stories she was working before falling ill. The national championship kicks off Monday, Jan. 11 at 8 pm ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida and can be watched in various formats across ESPN’s imprint of networks. To get Holly’s additions, you’ll have to hop on Twitter.