Under the best circumstances, covering the NFL Scouting Combine can be a whirlwind, leaving some media members feeling overwhelmed, tired, and maybe a little lost. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin is on a crusade to make the combine feel more empowering for women.

On Feb. 25, she will host her seventh annual Women of the NFL Combine Happy Hour. The event will be at Tavern On South in Indianapolis from 6-9 p.m. ET. If you’re a woman working in any capacity at the combine, you’re invited — that includes journalists, front office personnel, coaches, agents, etc.

“I hope people who come to this event get a chance to feel like they have a place they belong and see the representation,” Cronin said. “When we started this in 2019, there were 40 of us. It has grown exponentially so I think it’s a cool way to show that you can be a woman working in a male-dominated field but still see so many people who look like you, who identify like you (and) can be some of your strongest supporters around the NFL.”

Courtney Cronin knows from personal experience how challenging working the combine can be. She did it for the first time in 2018 as a Minnesota Vikings beat reporter and vividly recalls some hurdles. The Vikings were coming off an NFC Championship appearance, and following the playoffs, she was thrust into new territory.

Luckily, her peers showed her the ropes.

“If you don’t have a buddy to go through it and experience it with, it can be (tough),” Cronin said. “You need someone to teach you how to do it. When do you have media availability? Meeting coaches. Learning how to have those relationships. It was just a completely foreign setting to me. I went through it that first year and I had friends who cover the league. I remember some of my older, more experienced colleagues like Jordan Raanan as one of those people. He covers the Giants. He was going to show me how to do the combine. That was cool.”

Cronin took inspiration from her experience and a National Association of Black Journalists event at the combine. She relied on an email blast and word-of-mouth. After a promising start, more people have shown up over the years. In 2024, there were 168 attendees. As of late last week, there were already 170 RSVPs. And since it’s an informal, open event, many people may show up without prior notice.

In 2020, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had two female coaches on staff, found out about the event and picked up the bar tab. Last year, Chicago Bears chairperson George McCaskey and Chicago Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren showed up. 

Second annual Women of the #NFLCombine happy hour was a great success. Thanks to everyone who came out! pic.twitter.com/yWYn5p8v76

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 26, 2020

“That meant a whole ton to me,” Cronin said. “Mike McCartney, a high-powered agent who I’ve known from the beginning of my career, shows up every year. Scott Pioli has been a champion of our event. It’s neat to see male colleagues of ours. Glenn Cook, an assistant GM for the Cleveland Browns, has come a couple of years. It’s neat to see the allyship continue to expand and people championing our event. Obviously, it’s meant for women, but it’s cool to the male allyship, too.”

The Women of the NFL Combine Happy Hour is a networking opportunity that Courtney Cronin hopes will continue to grow and inspire.

“You nurture and maintain those relationships,” she said. “Those can be people who help you as a journalist.”