How Rece Davis Plans To Build on College GameDay’s Legacy Ahead of a Historic 40th Season

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Few television shows have experienced the longevity that College GameDay on ESPN has achieved. Entering the program’s 40th season beginning next week, the cast of characters that has become a Saturday morning staple is set to return. Kirk Herbstreit enters his 30th season on the program, flanked by Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee, and hosted by Rece Davis, who enters his 12th season with the program.

“Fans still cherish those Saturdays. They want to be a part of something that celebrates their school and the big game. The fact that they’ve decided that we’re worthy of their time and attention over the years is something I’m very grateful for,” says Davis.

Davis is no stranger to the ESPN audience. Over his three decades of work for the network, his main priority remains serving as the host of College GameDay for both football and basketball. His resume continues to grow, with experience covering everything from auto racing to the NBA and, most recently, Wimbledon.

A Different Kickoff

As he enters his 12th college football season as host of College GameDay, this year begins differently than any other. For the first time, the program enters a new season without Lee Corso at the desk. Last season, College GameDaysaluted Corso with a farewell broadcast ahead of the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes matchup, live from Columbus, Ohio.

“My best memory of that day was the love and gratitude that everyone showed Lee [Corso]. Truly, for what he meant to the show and the sport,” noted Davis. “They let us move to our set to midfield, spelled out the man’s name with the band. They let us broadcast on the pa in the stadium, and a rival network carried it live. Pretty amazing stuff. The cooperation that every had ensured that was memorable.”

Davis credited both Ohio State and Texas for allowing the tribute in the fashion they did. A unique salute without letting it affect the magnitude of the top two teams in the sport opening the season by playing one another.

Corso’s exit also meant the signature sendoff that became the show’s most popular segment was coming to an end. No longer would a host wear the headgear as the grand finale selection moving forward. Davis shared that, several years prior to Corso’s exit, discussions began about how to move past the loud crescendo of GameDay’s weekly finale that Corso had made his own.

“The great thing about the headgear at the end was it was authentic. It was genuine to the person that was doing it. I think we’ve found exactly the right way to end the show with Pat [McAfee] making his pick. It’s not forced. It’s authentic and unique to him,” explained Davis. “It was great that we were able to do that without figuring out how we were going to end the show. It’s not replacing the headgear, because they’re both great ways to sign off the show.”

Crafting The Official Visit

As ESPN continues to count down to the kickoff of the college football season, Davis was front and center in ramping up excitement for the season with The Official Visit. Davis participated in the ESPN series for the second consecutive year, helping build excitement for the upcoming season.

This year, Davis visited five different schools and universities around the country. He gained exclusive access for one-on-one conversations with news making college football coaches and players. The process of selecting who to profile was something that took time between Davis and a team of ESPN staff.

“The goal is to choose one program from each power four conference, and we added Notre Dame for the second straight year because of the storylines. Plus, it gives us a full week of content,” said Davis. “What we look for is who we think will be the most interesting people going into the season. Plus, how we could show another side of the subject away from the field.”

Not every request was granted. Davis noted that the network attempted to secure an episode with new LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin. However, both sides decided mutually to wait until GameDay’s debut in Baton Rouge next week for an exclusive.

The five-part series featured Davis profiling three head coaches and two quarterbacks. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Miami’s Mario Cristobal and Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire filled the coaching episodes. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr were the two players featured.

“I think we could apply these types of interviews to other sports for sure,” notes Davis about whether he feels the “Official Visit” setting could work with other sports. “It gets you out of the old knee-to-knee interview. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but it does give you a different feel to the discussion.”

The Role Of Host

Now with the Official Visit schedule in the rearview mirror, Davis is focused on hitting the road for another football season in the fall. Every week is filled with constant communication with the GameDay team and personalities. The team builds a living and breathing rundown for the program throughout the week.

Not to mention the group dinners on Friday nights, where talent and staff can share stories and talk football. Davis notes those opportunities on the eve of GameDay are some of the best parts of the experience.

Then comes Saturday morning. Large crowds at every stop enjoy a party-like atmosphere as the kickoff to another college football Saturday begins. This is where the work begins for Davis: being the timekeeper, the point guard, but also navigating and participating where he sees fit.

“I try to be genuine to who I am and be involved in the conversation. There’s a thing our producers like to joke with me. Because I don’t love it when they tell me to tee up other talent on the desk. My standard joking response to them is if you need somebody to tee something up, you can go hire a trained seal. They’re pretty good at putting balls up on a tee,” explained Davis.

Davis believes a host is at their best when they are present in the conversation while understanding their limits in expertise.

“I’m never going to argue with Desmond Howard about how to get off press coverage,” joked Davis. “You have to know where your guys on the desk have expertise where you don’t… You want to have everyone on your set shine and look great by letting everyone be a part of the conversation.”

Davis leans on that approach with every talent at the desk. Each personality brings their own credentials and experience, adding different layers to the program. The additions over the past several years of Pat McAfee and Nick Saban continue to show ESPN’s level of commitment to ensuring College GameDay remains destination programming on Saturdays for years to come.

A Busy Summer

Aside from his Official Visit series, Davis remained busy this offseason. For the first time in his career, Davis provided coverage as host of ESPN’s coverage of The Championships, Wimbledon. The assignment came up during contract discussions last year, but it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

“It was really rewarding as a sports fan. Wimbledon is one of those events that even if you’re not a hardcore tennis follower, it was great to experience one of the great traditions in sports,” said Davis. “To be able to be a part of that was awesome. We had an amazing team both on camera and behind the scenes.”

Davis admits that after he received the assignment, he had to brush up on his tennis knowledge. He followed the sport more frequently at one time, but likened his preparation for the Wimbledon role to another assignment he had taken on previously.

“It was very much when I did horse racing in some ways. I knew some things about tennis, but I didn’t know anything about horse racing when I got that assignment. I called jockeys and trainers to learn the basics, like how to read a racing form,” explained Davis. “So, I likened the experience to horse racing. Because it had been some time since I done something that was totally new to me. It was like learning a new language. Thankfully, I was fortunate that everyone on that team was so dedicate to the sport, craft and the event. We have some rising stars on the tennis side with our group of analysts.”

Davis notes that Wimbledon was one of the bucket-list sports events he had ever attended and worked for ESPN. Now, he’s expanding his role with tennis for ESPN. Davis is scheduled to be part of the network’s coverage of the US Open on Sundays during the very early parts of the college football season. Davis notes he also hopes to have more opportunities over the next few years calling more college football games for the network.

For Davis, that versatility may be what makes the start of this season feel so significant.

College GameDay is entering its 40th season, but the show is not simply celebrating its history. It is moving forward without one of the most recognizable figures in its history while continuing to evolve the way it connects with fans.

Davis has been at the center of that evolution for more than a decade. He’s helps guide the program through changes in talent, format and the sports television landscape. All while allowing the personalities around him to remain themselves. Now, with another season approaching, he will once again take his place at the center of the chaos, the conversations and the traditions that have made GameDay a Saturday morning institution.

There will be a new season, new campuses and new storylines. There will also be a noticeable absence. But as the show prepares to begin its historic 40th season, Davis understands that the responsibility is not to recreate what College GameDay was. It is to make sure the next chapter is worthy of everything that came before it.

As he learned from Corso himself, “It’s entertainment, sweetheart.”

Every Saturday morning this fall, as the buses roll in, the crowds gather and another college football season takes center stage, Davis will once again be there to help lead the way.

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John Mamola

John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.

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