A proud moment for Georgia as they watch one of their own anchor Super Bowl Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium. Maria Taylor joins Noah Eagle and Jac Collinsworth, with analysts Tony Dungy, Jason Garrett, Rodney Harrison, and Devin McCourty breaking down the Patriots-Seahawks matchup. But when it’s all played, she stays back for the trophy moment. 

NBC confirmed that Maria Taylor will handle the Lombardi Trophy presentation after Super Bowl LX wraps. The honor here is she’s the first woman to do it since 1992. The trophy presentation is one of the most visible roles on the broadcast, happening when emotions are raw and players are everywhere. She’s also hosting the Super Bowl pregame show for the first time, making this a double assignment on the sport’s biggest night.

For Georgia, it’s another reminder of what “alum” can actually mean beyond the field. Maria Taylor was a 3x All-SEC two-sport player in Athens finishing her career fourth in Bulldogs’ history with 1,729 kills and 2,020 total points in volleyball and basketball. She also played basketball for the Lady Bulldogs, appearing in 22 games and 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 even after the trophy presentation Sunday night as she’s flying straight to Italy to take over as NBC’s late-night host for Winter Olympics coverage starting February 10. This will be her fourth Olympics 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. 

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. 

Maria Taylor’s Georgia foundation 

Maria Taylor has told the story before, but it’s worth repeating. When she arrived at Georgia, she 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 the 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. The resume keeps filling up but for Georgia, you know why this one stands out. They produced this.