Maria Taylor has helped pave the way for women in sports. She has made a name for herself in the last few years working with ESPN and the SEC Network. Taylor grew up loving sports. Before she started working as an analyst and host, she played multiple sports in college.

When it comes to sports, Taylor knows what she’s talking about.

A look at Maria Taylor’s broadcast career

While Taylor was in college, she immediately got into the sports broadcasting field. She worked as a reporter and host for IMG College at the University of Georgia for three years. Taylor also appeared on other shows, including Dawg Report, SEC Men’s Basketball Tonight, and SportsNite. In 2013, she was the sideline reporter on ESPN2’s weekly Saturday-night primetime college football telecast in addition to the Orange Bowl.

Taylor was well-versed in sports. She served as an analyst for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show, NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show, and ESPN’s coverage of both the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and Women’s Volleyball National Championship. She continued to move up in her career, and in 2014 she joined the SEC Network. 

Taylor started working as a college football reporter on the SEC Network with commentator Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer. She currently serves in that role with the network during college football season. Taylor has worked in multiple roles since she started her career, and one thing she knows is hard work. 

Maria Taylor joining the ESPN Network and adding other roles to her resume

In 2014, Taylor joined ESPN as a college analyst and reporter. While at ESPN, she became a reporter for College GameDay Built by Home Depot and ABC Saturday Night Football in 2017. Taylor continued to grow as a reporter and host, and she gained a lot of experience serving in numerous roles.

In 2019, she started hosting for NBA Countdown, the pregame show for ESPN’s Friday night, and Sunday afternoon NBA games. It seemed as though Taylor was on a different show or reporting on a game each week. She certainly had worked hard to get to where she is today. Recently, she served as the sideline reporter for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants Monday Night Football opener. 

Maria Taylor playing multiple sports in college

Before Taylor started working for ESPN and the SEC Network, she was a standout athlete. Taylor is a native of Georgia and attended Centennial High School. During her time in high school, she excelled in basketball and volleyball. In basketball, she played all four years during that time, and she was named the Fulton County Athlete of the Year. On the volleyball court, she was the Offensive MVP for her team for three years, and she was an All-Region and All-State selection. After having a successful high school career in which she was an All-State selection in basketball and volleyball, she attended the University of Georgia.

At Georgia, Taylor was a member of the basketball and volleyball team. During her time on the volleyball team, she was named to the All-SEC volleyball team three times and was also a USA A2 National Volleyball team member. Taylor has had success as an athlete, and she continues to be involved in sports as a reporter and host.