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College football Saturdays will be looking a little bit different now for ESPN. Maria Taylor, ace sideline reporter and anchor, has officially left the broadcasting company. The split between Taylor, looming over the past few weeks and months, was officially announced by ESPN PR on Wednesday morning.
ESPN & @MariaTaylor jointly announced today that after much discussion, an agreement on a contract extension could not be reached
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 21, 2021
As a result, her last assignment for ESPN was last night's NBA Finals telecast
Comments from Jimmy Pitaro & Maria Taylor: https://t.co/yNSoLzKCP8 pic.twitter.com/bFjIQ6myzX
Taylor had gained notoriety initially for her work with the SEC Network. The University of Georgia alum rose up the rungs of the ladder at the WWL, quickly becoming a familiar face to college football fans. She worked on College Gameday and also served as the lead sideline reporter for ABC Saturday Night Football. Her other work of course included work with the NBA Finals, which just wrapped up on Tuesday night.
The rumor mill in the sports media industry seems to indicate NBC may be a player for Taylor’s services. But she will be a huge commodity as a free agent. Whoever picks her up will be gaining a very strong asset.