Guest Highlight: Maria Taylor
5
MAY, 2020
We start our Women is Sports Series off with Maria Taylor. On Beyond Sets and Reps, we know it’s important to highlight women in sports and recognize their accomplishments.
This week’s guest has blazed a trail and continues to set things on fire. Going Beyond Sets and Reps allows us to explore behind the scenes of what we usually see. We are excited to bring to you this week’s guest so be sure to tune in.
Maria Taylor joined ESPN as a college analyst & reporter in 2014. One of the network’s most versatile commentators, Taylor was named a reporter for College GameDay Built by Home Depot and ABC Saturday Night Football in 2017. She adds NBA Countdown hosting duties to her roster in 2019.
She had previously served as the host of SEC Network’s traveling pregame show SEC Nation, alongside analysts Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears and Paul Finebaum. Taylor’s versatility is showcased on a variety of ESPN’s shows and platforms, as she hosts College Football Live, Big Monday and NCAA Women’s Final Four studio coverage, serves as a regular co-host on Get Up, and works as a sideline reporter on Saturday Primetime and marquee men’s basketball games throughout the season. In addition, Taylor is an analyst on other SEC and ESPN telecasts, including volleyball and women’s basketball. She is also a part of ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage.
Prior to her role on SEC Nation, she served as a college football reporter on SEC Network with commentator Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer. In 2013, she was the sideline reporter on ESPN2’s weekly Saturday night primetime college football telecast in addition to the Orange Bowl, her second consecutive year covering the annual bowl game. Additionally, she has been an analyst on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show, NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show and also ESPN’s coverage of both the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and Women’s Volleyball National Championship for the previous two years.
Prior to 2012, Taylor was reporter and host for IMG College at the University of Georgia for three years. She also appeared on various studio shows including Dawg Report, SEC Men’s Basketball Tonight, and SportsNite.
Taylor attended the University of Georgia where she played volleyball and basketball for the Bulldogs. She was named to the All-SEC volleyball team three times and was also a member of the USA A2 National Volleyball team. She graduated from Georgia in 2009 with a degree in broadcast news. She returned to the University to pursue her Master of Business Administration which she completed in May of 2013. She is a native of Alpharetta, Georgia.
You can find Maria on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook; and learn more about her Winning Edge Leadership Academy.