Rece Davis, like many sports commentators, followed one of two typical paths to his media career. One common route is through academics and experience in journalism, working up through various news organizations.
The other is transitioning from a professional sports career into broadcasting after retirement. So, which path did Rece Davis take?
Revisiting Rece Davis’ Pre-ESPN Journey
While many commentators played sports professionally before entering media, Rece Davis took a different route. He followed the academic and journalism path, not competing in the NFL or playing college football.
According to his ESPN bio, Davis attended the University of Alabama, where he graduated cum laude in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, focusing on news and public affairs. Eventually, in 1996, Davis found his way to ESPN’s main headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.
Davis began his career in local journalism. He started as a freelance television play-by-play announcer in Alabama, his home state. Davis worked in that capacity for ten years, from 1983-1993. In 1988, Davis was a sports anchor and sports director at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia. He was juggling multiple roles during this time.
In 1993, he worked at WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan. He concluded his role with the company in 1995. This was the very last time he would work in a local conventional journalism capacity, joining one of the most well-known sports companies in the business.
Rece Davis’ Broadcasting Career
Davis joined ESPN in 1996, starting with ESPN2 as a host on the NBA show NBA 2Night. He soon expanded his role, appearing on various “2Day” programs and covering the NFL Draft for the first time during this period.
Over more than 25 years with ESPN, Davis has become a staple of the network. He has hosted and contributed to prominent programs like College GameDay, College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings Show, and others.
In addition to covering college football and basketball, Davis has also commentated on NBA games and appeared regularly on SportsCenter. He is widely regarded as one of ESPN’s most prominent personalities.
Davis has won a Sports Emmy Award for Best Weekly Show in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He has also been nominated for Outstanding Sports Personality five times—in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
His appearances aren’t limited to ESPN; he’s also featured on ABC, as the two networks frequently simulcast major events like the NFL Draft.
In 2025, Davis is set to host the ABC broadcast of the NFL Draft for the seventh consecutive year. While both ESPN and ABC will cover one of the league’s marquee events, each will present distinct programming and air it on separate channels.