Posted March 04, 2022 in Press Releases
NBC Sports host for 2020 Tokyo Olympics to lead honors for best of 2021 Cleveland sports
#CLESportsAwards
CLEVELAND – Maria Taylor, NBC Sports host and correspondent, will host Greater Cleveland Sports Awards presented by Medical Mutual and Ancora. This premier annual fundraiser for Greater Cleveland Sports Commission will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Taylor officially joined NBC Sports with coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she joined Mike Tirico as host for Prime Plus. Additionally, she served as a host and contributor for NBC’s “Football Night in America” and coverage of the Super Bowl.
During an eight-year stint with ESPN, Taylor hosted NBA Countdown, NCAA college football and basketball coverage and the NCAA Women’s Final Four studio show. She served as a recurring co-host on ESPN’s “Get Up!”, a reporter on College GameDay and a sideline reporter on the network’s biggest college football and basketball weekly games.
Taylor’s NFL coverage included hosting the 2021 NFL Draft, held in Cleveland, and sideline reporting for Monday Night Football’s 2020 opening week.
She also provided analysis on SEC Network and ESPN telecasts, including volleyball and women’s basketball, has worked on ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage and served as host of SEC Network’s traveling “SEC Nation” pregame college football show.
Previously, Taylor served as an analyst on ESPN’s “NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show,” “NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show” and coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and Women’s Volleyball National Championship.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, she played basketball and was a three-time All-SEC volleyball player and member of the USA A2 National Volleyball team. She graduated in 2013 with a Master’s of Business Administration and a degree in broadcast news (2009). She delivered the commencement address at her alma mater in May 2021, marking the 60-year anniversary of the university’s integration.
In 2015, Taylor co-founded The Winning Edge Leadership Academy, a non-profit committed to educating and fostering professional mentoring relationships, providing networking opportunities and enriching scholarships to ethnic minorities and women who are seeking careers in the sports industry.
Taylor will take center stage during Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, the premier annual sports fundraiser supporting Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, to celebrate a year of athletic achievements in Northeast Ohio from high school stars to professional athletes.
Cleveland’s sports scene will gather for a night of networking, libations, appearances from local and national sports celebrities and feature a live awards show mirrored on Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse’s big screen.
Group tickets are available for purchase with prices ranging from $4,000 to $7,000 and guarantee purchaser 10 seats, a cocktail hour, refreshments during the show and the after party.
Individual tickets are available for $350 and include cocktail hour, refreshments during the show and after party access. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit clevelandsportsawards.com.
To learn more about Greater Cleveland Sports Commission or to keep up-to-date on new developments and activities follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
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About Greater Cleveland Sports Commission: Since 2000, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) is responsible for attracting over 200 sporting events which provide more than $780 million in economic activity to Northeast Ohio. GCSC serves to measurably improve the economy of Greater Cleveland and enrich the community by attracting, creating, managing and enhancing significant sporting and competitive events. For more information, visit clevelandsports.org.