Rece Davis is one of the most well-known faces in sports television. He’s been on air on various networks for 40 years, and served as the primary host of ESPN’s SportsCenter and College GameDay for over two decades. Here’s everything we know about Rece Davis.
Early Life
William Laurece “Rece” Davis was born December 14, 1965, to Janice and Jerry Davis. His exact place of birth is currently unknown; some sources claim he was born in Chicago, Illinois while others state that he was born in Del Rio, Texas.
Image source: Google
Rece and Davis’s parents moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama when Rece was a young boy. Not much is known about his childhood, but we do know that he graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast News and Public Affairs.
Career
While still a student, Rece took on various unpaid internships as a TV play-by-play announcer, radio personality, and studio host in media outlets across Alabama.
In 1987, he began his professional career as a general assignment reporter for WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa. He then worked as a sports anchor and reporter at WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, from 1993 to 1995.
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Rece later moved to Bristol, Connecticut, to join ESPN, where he contributed to ESPN2’s SportSmash. From 1996 to 1997, he hosted ESPN2’s NBA 2Night and later led RPM 2Night and RPM 2Day from 1997 to 1999.
In 2000, Rece began anchoring ESPN’s flagship sports program SportsCenter alongside several ESPN personalities. From there, he became a regular in the show. Alongside SportsCenter, he hosted—and continues to host—the College GameDay basketball roadshow.
Rece has received numerous accolades throughout his career. Among these include the Cablefax Best Sports Host in 2008, the Jake Wade Award in 2016, and the Lester Jordan Award in 2019. He also received five nominations for the Outstanding Sports Personality Studio Host category at the Sports Emmys between 2018 and 2024.
In 2018, Rece was inducted into the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame.
Image source: Google
Personal Life
Despite being on air for over 40 years, Rece mostly keeps his personal life private.
Rece married Leigh Davis (maiden name Langley) on December 13, 1993, and they continue to be together to this day. The couple first met while working at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, where Rece was a sports reporter and Leigh was a sales representative.
Rece and Leigh have two children: a son named Christopher and a daughter named Elizabeth. Christopher has played college basketball at Princeton University, while Elizabeth has shown interest in theater and acting.
Image source: Instagram
Final Thoughts
Rece Davis is a well-known sports journalist and commentator for ESPN. He has worked at ESPN for over 25 years, starting his career there in 1995.
Rece is best known as the host of College GameDay, a popular college football pregame show, which he took over in 2015. He also hosts College GameDay for basketball and covers major events like the NCAA Men’s Final Four and the NFL Draft.
Featured image source: Google
