SI Media With Jimmy Traina ESPN's Rece Davis
Dec 4, 2025
Rece Davis, a veteran sports broadcaster and host of College GameDay, reflects on his 30-year journey at ESPN, recalling his early days on ESPN2 and his iconic tenure on SportsCenter. He shares the challenges of replacing Chris Fowler and his favorite moments with Lee Corso. Discussion includes ESPN's alleged SEC bias, his thoughts on Lane Kiffin's exit, and innovative ideas for the college football playoff. Sal Licata from WFAN joins next, discussing his WFAN status, Thanksgiving bets gone wrong, and the latest trends in sports podcasts.
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From Sports Smash To SportsCenter
- Rece Davis was hired at ESPN2 and started on a short highlight show called Sports Smash before moving to SportsCenter.
- He nearly lost his job because he followed instructions not to ask for SportsCenter but later pushed and got the role anyway.
Finding Out He Got GameDay
- Rece Davis recalls learning he'd become College GameDay host while calling a basketball game in Ann Arbor.
- He found out publicly via messages and realized the change came from contract negotiations rather than an instant decision.
Passion Is GameDay’s Secret Sauce
- Rece says the show's success comes from everyone on set loving college football as much as the fans.
- That shared passion, not secret formulas, is GameDay's 'secret sauce.'