With the Super Bowl in the books, the Seattle Seahawks marked a historic second title win, but they weren’t the only ones who made history. An alum of the University of Georgia, who joined the post-game discussion with analysts Tony Dungy and Jason Garrett, among others, anchored Super Bowl Sunday night, achieving a feat for the first time in 34 years.

NBC confirmed that Maria Taylor was going to handle the Lombardi Trophy presentation after Super Bowl LX wrapped up, becoming the first woman to do so since 1992. The trophy presentation is one of the most visible and lucrative roles on the broadcast. It happens at a moment when emotions are raw, and players are scattered everywhere. Taylor also hosted the Super Bowl pregame show for the first time, making it two major career milestones for her on the sport’s biggest night.

For Georgia, it’s another reminder of what “alum” can actually mean beyond the field. A multi-sport athlete, Maria Taylor was a 3x All-SEC two-sport player in Athens, finishing her career fourth in Bulldogs’ history with 1,729 kills in volleyball and 2,020 total points in basketball, helping Georgia reach the NCAA Regional Semifinals.

This Super Bowl appearance lands in the middle of the busiest stretch of her career. Maria Taylor hosted the debut of Basketball Night in America on February 1. There’s no break for her after the trophy presentation Sunday night, since she’s flying straight to Italy to take over as NBC’s late-night host for the Winter Olympics coverage, starting February 10. This will be Taylor’s fourth Olympic assignment since joining NBC in 2021.

Noticing her potential, NBC moved aggressively to build around her. Maria Taylor has been the engine in football, basketball, tennis, and Olympic coverage since the hire from ESPN in 2021. In 2022, when Mike Tirico shifted into the Sunday Night Football booth, she took over Football Night in America. It was an immediate success as the show averaged 8.8 million viewers in 2025. 

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That was the largest audience in its history and a 14% bump year over year. In 2025, NBC also named her the lead studio host for both NBA and WNBA coverage after securing the rights. And it’s nice to know it’s in Georgia where it all started. Taylor’s path to the broadcast booth began with a pivotal moment at the University of Georgia.

Maria Taylor’s Georgia foundation 

Maria Taylor, when she arrived in Georgia, thought she wanted to explore many things, from biology to business management, but none stuck. But September 21, 2007, became a turning point for her. Fox Sports South rolled into the Ramsey Center to televise Georgia’s volleyball match against Kentucky. 

“I immediately thought, ‘Man, I could do this,’” she said. “It would be a way to stay involved in sports without being involved in administration.”

That day marked a turning point for Maria Taylor. She switched to journalism, got into the program, and knew almost immediately it fit. And she still points back to Georgia, specifically Grady College, when she talks about preparation. 

“I think I had the best professors that you could possibly get,” she said, singling out instructor Steve Smith, a former Southern Bureau Chief for ABC News and News Manager for Fox Sports South. “He was one of the only people who told me that I could have a career in sports. Most of the professors wanted us to get into news.”

Maria Taylor learned how to edit, run cameras, write, and get on-air experience before graduating. She already owns a Sports Emmy from NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, honored as Outstanding Live Special. Taylor’s resume keeps growing, but the latest achievement is a matter of pride for her alma mater, which helped her launch her career.