Meredith Vieira will fill in for Bob Costas in prime time

Lauer: You’re out. Vieira: You’re in.

The former Today anchor will make history Friday as the first solo woman ever to anchor NBC’s prime time Olympic coverage. She’ll be succeeding Matt Lauer, who first stepped in for ailing colleague Bob Costas earlier this week. (NBC says that though Costas’s eye infection has improved, he’s still “not quite ready to do the show.”)

“It’s so funny — I woke up this morning and I was feeling fine. And now my eyes are killing me,” Vieira joked on NBC’s morning show Friday. “I watched you guys [Lauer and Al Roker] attempt the luge. I think I’m going blind. And I’m really worried because I have to go prime time tonight.”

Lauer, meanwhile, seems relieved to have the night off; he’s been hosting both Today and NBC’s prime time coverage for three days in a row. “I’m dragging a little today. I didn’t sleep at all since yesterday morning,” he tells Today.com. “Meredith’s fantastic, she’ll be great, she really will, and I know she’s going to have a blast. It’s fun!”