IRVING, Texas (Sept. 15, 2022) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that Rece Davis, the host of ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning “College GameDay Built by The Home Depot,” will emcee the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas Dec. 6 at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
“Rece Davis is one of the most gifted sports broadcasters in the industry and a great friend to the National Football Foundation,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Rece is a true talent with an unparalleled knowledge of college football and an intense passion for our sport. He was a wonderful host last year, and we are so glad he has agreed to return for the seventh time to emcee one of college football’s marquee events as it returns to Las Vegas.”
This will be Davis’ seventh time emceeing the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, having previously hosted the event in 2008, 2011-14 and 2021.
Davis is among a prestigious list of individuals who have donated their skills to host the fabled event, including TV Host Ed Sullivan, TV Host of “What’s My Line” John Charles Daly, U.S. Senator George Murphy, Rutgers University President Mason W. Gross, CBS News Anchor Harry Smith (now with NBC News) and ABC Sports broadcaster Chris Schenkel, who emceed the event for 28 consecutive years from 1968 to 1995. Other notable sports broadcasters who have emceed the event include Tim Brando, Charles Davis, Chris Fowler, Verne Lundquist, Joe Tessitore and Mike Tirico.
“Rece’s talents will provide an unforgettable night for all of the evening’s honorees,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “He has become a star himself, and all of the honorees are sure to get a thrill from being on stage with him. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NFF in 2022, this year’s Annual Awards Dinner will be a momentous occasion, and we are elated that Rece will be running the show.”
The 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas will serve as the culmination of the college football regular season. It will feature the induction of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2022 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; and the bestowing of the 33rd William V. Campbell Trophy® to college football’s top scholar-athlete.
The 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes LaVar Arrington (Penn State), Champ Bailey (Georgia), Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech), Sylvester Croom (Alabama), Mike Doss (Ohio State), Chuck Ealey (Toledo), Kevin Faulk (LSU), Moe Gardner (Illinois), Boomer Grigsby (Illinois State), Mike Hass (Oregon State), Marvin Jones (Florida State), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Mark Messner (Michigan), Terry Miller (Oklahoma State), Rashaan Salaam (Colorado), Dennis Thomas (Alcorn State), Zach Wiegert (Nebraska), Roy Williams (Oklahoma) and coaches John Luckhardt (Washington & Jefferson [PA], California [PA]), Billy Jack Murphy (Memphis) and Gary Pinkel (Toledo, Missouri).
On Oct. 26, the NFF will announce the members of the 2022 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments, who will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and vie as finalists for The William V. Campbell Trophy®. They will be honored at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 6, where one will be named the recipient of the Campbell Trophy® as college football’s top scholar-athlete and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Please visit FootballFoundation.org/feature/NFF2022 for more information on the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, including how to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and Bellagio and a concierge service provided by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Rece Davis’s Bio
Rece Davis, one of the sports industry’s preeminent hosts and a mainstay on ESPN for more than 25 years, has been the host of ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning “College GameDay Built by The Home Depot” since 2015. As the host, he works alongside Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee and College Football Hall of Famers Desmond Howard and David Pollack.
He is also a host for premier events including the College Football Playoff National Championship and the NFL Draft on ABC, in addition to select play-by-play assignments for college football and basketball. A regular contributor to “SportsCenter” and other ESPN shows and platforms, Davis also serves as the host of the “College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings Show” and the “ESPN College GameDay” podcast.
During the basketball season, Davis is the host of “College GameDay Covered by State Farm,” a role he has occupied since the show debuted in 2005. He anchors coverage from the annual State Farm Champions Classic and NCAA Men’s Final Four, and he also served as host of the NBA Draft on ESPN for more than a decade.
In his first three seasons with college football’s longest-running and most-celebrated pregame show, College GameDay earned a Sports Emmy for best weekly studio show (2018, 2017 & 2016), adding to the previous five trophies (2015, 2014, 2011, 2010 & 2008). He was also nominated for Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Host in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
The “College Football Playoff: Top 25 Rankings Show,” hosted by Davis, also received special recognition by Sports Video Group for Outstanding Live Non-Game Production (College Sports Media Awards).
Previously, he was the host of ESPN’s Saturday college football pregame, halftime and postgame studio coverage and “College Football Final” with College Football Hall of Famers Lou Holtz and Mark May. Davis also called the ESPN College Football Primetime game on Thursday nights with Jesse Palmer, David Pollack and Samantha Ponder until 2014.
Davis hosted ESPN2’s weekend “RPM 2Night” and Sunday morning “RPM 2Day” programs from 1997-99, and ESPN2’s “NBA 2Night,” the network’s daily NBA highlights/news program from 1996-97. He has also worked on ESPN and ABC’s Triple Crown horse racing coverage.
Davis has garnered a number of accolades, including the Lester Jordan Award (2019) and Jake Wade Award (2016), both given by CoSIDA for outstanding contributions to intercollegiate athletics, and Best Sports Host (2008 – Cablefax).
Before joining ESPN, Davis worked at WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, as a sports anchor/reporter from 1993-95. From 1988-93, he was a sports anchor and sports director at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and, while he was still a student at the University of Alabama in 1987, a general assignment reporter for WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa. He also worked as a freelance television play-by-play announcer, studio host and radio announcer in select media outlets in Alabama from 1983-93.
A native of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Davis graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in news and public affairs. Davis was named the University of Alabama School of Communication Broadcast Department’s outstanding alumnus for 2001. In 2019, Davis was inducted into the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame.
All-Time List of NFF Annual Award Dinner Emcees
1958 – George Murphy, U.S. Senator, Actor and NFF President
1959 – George Murphy, U.S. Senator, Actor and NFF President
1960 – Mason W. Gross, President of Rutgers University
1961 – Mason W. Gross, President of Rutgers University
1962 – Mason W. Gross, President of Rutgers University
1963 – Mason W. Gross, President of Rutgers University
1964 – Ed Sullivan, TV Host of the Ed Sullivan Show
1965 – John Charles Daly, TV Host of What’s My Line
1966 – John Charles Daly, TV Host of What’s My Line
1967 – Ed Sullivan, TV Host of the Ed Sullivan Show
1968 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1969 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1970 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1971 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1972 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1973 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1974 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1975 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1976 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1977 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1978 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1979 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1980 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1981 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1982 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1983 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1984 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1985 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1986 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1987 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1988 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1989 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1990 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1991 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1992 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1993 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1994 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1995 – Chris Schenkel, ABC Sports Broadcaster
1996 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
1997 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
1998 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
1999 – Tim Brando, CBS Sports Broadcaster (now with FOX Sports)
2000 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2001 – Mike Tirico, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster (now with NBC Sports)
2002 – Tim Brando, CBS Sports Broadcaster (now with FOX Sports)
2003 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2004 – Mike Tirico, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster (now with NBC Sports)
2005 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2006 – Verne Lundquist, CBS Sports Broadcaster
2007 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2008 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2009 – Chris Fowler, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2010 – Harry Smith, CBS News Anchor (now with NBC News)
2011 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2012 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2013 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2014 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2015 – Mike Tirico, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster (now with NBC Sports)
2016 – Mike Tirico, NBC Sports Broadcaster
2017 – Joe Tessitore, ESPN Sports Broadcaster
2018 – Joe Tessitore, ESPN Sports Broadcaster
2019 – Charles Davis, FOX Sports Broadcaster (now with CBS Sports)
2020 – No NFF Annual Awards Dinner due to the pandemic
2021 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
2022 – Rece Davis, ESPN/ABC Sports Broadcaster
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