CLEVELAND — Calling all sports fans!
Maria Taylor of NBC Sports has been revealed as the host for the 2022 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, which takes place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Wednesday, March 23.
David Gilbert, the CEO of Destination Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, made the host announcement Friday morning during a conversation with 3News' Dave Chudowsky.
“We’re really excited," Gilbert said. "She is such a big national up-and-comer.”
Taylor will emcee the annual fundraising event, which benefits the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. The ceremony celebrates the local sports scene while honoring athletic achievements in Northeast Ohio from high school stars to professional athletes.
You can watch our full interview with Gilbert in the player below as he previews what you can expect at this year's event:
Taylor officially joined NBC Sports during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while also serving as a host and contributor for NBC’s Football Night in America and the Super Bowl.
“During an eight-year stint with ESPN, Taylor hosted NBA Countdown, NCAA college football and basketball coverage and the NCAA Women’s Final Four studio show,” according to a press release from the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “She served as a recurring co-host on ESPN’s Get Up!, a reporter on College GameDay and a sideline reporter on the network’s biggest college football and basketball weekly games.”
Her coverage has also included hosting the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland along with sideline reporting for Monday Night Football’s 2020 opening week. She also served as an analyst on ESPN’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show, NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show and coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and Women’s Volleyball National Championship.
“A graduate of the University of Georgia, she played basketball and was a three-time All-SEC volleyball player and member of the USA A2 National Volleyball team,” according to the press release. “She graduated in 2013 with a Master’s of Business Administration and a degree in broadcast news (2009). She delivered the commencement address at her alma mater in May 2021, marking the 60-year anniversary of the university’s integration.”
In 2015, Taylor co-founded The Winning Edge Leadership Academy, which is a non-profit committed to educating and fostering professional mentoring relationships, providing networking opportunities and enriching scholarships to ethnic minorities and women who are seeking careers in the sports industry.
Tickets for the event are available HERE. Individual tickets are $350, which includes cocktail hour, refreshments during the show and after party access. Group tickets have prices ranging from $4,000 to $7,000, which guarantees 10 seats, a cocktail hour, refreshments during the show and after party access.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published from last year's Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on March 4, 2021.