Report: Rece Davis spurns Fox offer, to stay with ESPN

Field Level Media|published: Sun 13th April, 12:17 2025

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; From left: Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN Gameday set at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN is retaining longtime "College GameDay" host Rece Davis on a seven-year contract worth "tens of millions" of dollars, The Athletic reported Sunday.

Fox Sports reportedly had made a strong push to hire Davis to host its "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show, the main competitor to "College GameDay" on college football Saturdays.

Davis, 59, worked as a sports anchor and reporter at a television station in Flint, Mich., from 1993-95 immediately prior to joining ESPN, where he had roles in a variety of coverage areas before becoming the founding host of "College GameDay" in 2005. He also hosts the college basketball version of the show.

The Athletic said he accepted "a slight hometown discount" to stay with ESPN, which will guarantee him lead college football hosting duties until 2032 -- the end of the network's College Football Playoff deal. Per the report, the Fox offer included leading the coverage of the men's 2026 World Cup and calling college basketball games.

At Fox, Rob Stone hosts "Big Noon Kickoff" alongside a panel that includes Charles Woodson, Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart and Urban Meyer.

Davis' colleagues at ESPN include Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Lee Corso and Pat McAfee.

--Field Level Media