Maria Taylor (analyst)
Maria Taylor is an analyst and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. She covers college football, college volleyball, and college men's and women's basketball.
Early life
Maria was born May 12, 1987. She attended Centennial High School and had a successful four-year career that allowed her to receive many awards. Among the awards were being a member of the Atlanta Tip-Off Team of the Year, being a Fulton County Scholar Athlete of the Year, Offensive MVP of her High School volleyball team for three years, a three-time All-Region Selection, and being named All-State as a senior. Taylor also got to be a member of the 2004 USA Volleyball Junior National A2 team.[1]
Maria received an athletic scholarship to the University of Georgia, where she continued to play volleyball and basketball from 2005-2009. While at Georgia she was named a member of the All-SEC team each season. She also continued to play for the US Volleyball Junior National A2 team and helped them win a bronze medal during the Open Division of the US Volleyball Championships.[1] By the time her playing days were done in the fall of 2008, Taylor ranked fourth all-time in program history in career kills with 1,729 and was fourth all-time in total points with 2,020. She is 6'2" in height.[2]
Career
Maria Taylor is in her third season as a college analyst and reporter and joined the SEC Network in 2014. She is a college football reporter on SEC Network with commentator Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer. She is also an analyst on other SEC telecasts, including volleyball and women’s basketball.
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. 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.