ESPN returns 37 Emmys, disciplines employees after a decades-long scheme is unearthed

ESPN has returned dozens of Emmys and disciplined employees involved in a decades-long scheme to secure trophies for ineligible on-air personalities by submitting fake names for consideration, according to the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the sports network. On Thursday, internal investigations conducted by the academy and ESPN found that employees at the sports network had been submitting made-up names to the Emmys organization in order to obtain, if they won, more than 30 extra trophies for broadcast personalities who were ineligible to receive them. “NATAS identified a number of fictitious credits submitted by ESPN to multiple Sports Emmys competitions,” the academy, which administers the daytime, sports and news and documentary Emmy awards, told The Times in a statement. The Athletic, which broke the story Thursday, reported that it is not known exactly who orchestrated the plan, but Craig Lazarus, vice president and executive producer of original content and features, and Lee Fitting, a senior vice president of production who oversaw “College GameDay” until he was let go last summer, were among the sports network’s employees banned from participating in future Sports Emmys submissions.