On September 24, 2026, Taylor McGregor stepped into the Marquee Sports Network broadcast booth alongside Boog Sciambi and Jim Deshaies for the last time. She got emotional. So did they. After seven seasons as the face of Cubs field reporting, McGregor was leaving.
The destination was ESPN, where she’d already been working part-time as a college football sideline reporter since 2019. The new arrangement would make ESPN her full-time home, ending a dual-role schedule that had stretched her across Major League Baseball, college football, and the occasional studio appearance for more than six years.
McGregor was clear about the reason. “Ultimately, it was an opportunity to grow in my career at ESPN, and I had to make a tough decision,” she told the Chicago Tribune. “I love everyday baseball, but it’s every day, and I’ve been doing it for nine years, and I felt ready to have a little bit more time in my personal life.”
Here is the full story of why Taylor McGregor left the Cubs, the career path that brought her to this moment, and what her expanded role at ESPN will look like.
Taylor McGregor’s Departure From the Cubs and Marquee Sports Network
McGregor had been part of the Marquee Sports Network broadcast from the day the network launched in 2020. She served as the lead field reporter for Cubs telecasts, covering daily games at Wrigley Field, conducting postgame interviews, and delivering in-game reports from the dugout and clubhouse.
Her on-air chemistry with play-by-play voice Boog Sciambi and color commentator Jim Deshaies became one of the defining qualities of the broadcast. In her farewell post on X (formerly Twitter), McGregor made that clear: “There’s no one who’s impacted my career more than Boog. And no one who’s more enjoyable to be teammates with than JD.”
Cubs chief commercial officer Colin Faulkner, who oversees Marquee’s operations, praised McGregor in a statement. “Anyone who has watched her work, both with us and increasingly on ESPN, can see that she is a rising star in the industry,” Faulkner said. “Taylor’s professionalism, preparation, and ability to connect with players, coaches, and fans have made her an outstanding member of our broadcast team.”
The schedule was the driving factor behind the move. McGregor had been covering Cubs games daily from spring training through September, then pivoting immediately to college football sideline duties on Saturdays through the fall and winter. That left almost no off-season, and the pace had become unsustainable.
“I love everyday baseball, but it’s every day,” she said. “I’ve been doing it for nine years and I felt ready to have a little bit more time in my personal life.”
McGregor announced she will remain living in Chicago after the move.
An emotional Taylor McGregor announces that she’s leaving her role as a Cubs reporter at Marquee Sports Network to work at ESPN full time. pic.twitter.com/ernfrA8Q5G
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 24, 2026
Taylor McGregor’s Early Life and the McGregor Family Legacy
Taylor McGregor grew up in Denver, Colorado, in a family where sports weren’t just entertainment. They were the family business.
Her father, Keli Scott McGregor, was a former NFL tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts in the mid-1980s after a standout career at Colorado State University, where he was a two-time All-American. After football, Keli moved into sports administration. He joined the Colorado Rockies in 1993, rose through the organization, and became the team’s president in 2001.
On April 20, 2010, Keli McGregor was found dead in a Salt Lake City hotel room during a business trip with Rockies ownership. He was 47. The cause was later attributed to a rare virus that attacked his heart. Taylor was a junior at Golden High School at the time.
The loss shaped Taylor’s career in a direct way. She spoke at her father’s memorial service at Coors Field in front of an estimated 3,000 people. That moment, standing in the ballpark where her father had spent his career, planted a seed.
“I never thought about broadcasting until after my dad passed,” she later explained. She started paying attention to on-air reporters like Alanna Rizzo and Charissa Thompson, both of whom worked Rockies broadcasts, and realized she wanted to do the same work.
From Wyoming to Wrigley Field: Taylor McGregor’s Broadcasting Career
McGregor enrolled at the University of Arkansas and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. During college, she completed an impressive stretch of internships: SEC Network, RazorVision (the university’s in-house production team), MLB Network, FOX Sports Kansas City, ROOT Sports, and KNWA-TV.
Her first professional job was at KCWY-TV in Casper, Wyoming, where she worked as a weekend sports anchor. The starting salary was $18,000 a year.
From there, she moved to THV-11 in Little Rock, Arkansas, before landing at AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain in Denver. At AT&T SportsNet, McGregor became the Colorado Rockies’ television field reporter, a job that carried deep personal meaning. Eight years after her father’s death, a McGregor was once again a daily presence at Coors Field.
The ESPN connection came through Brian Griese, the former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst, who was also a dedicated Rockies fan. Griese noticed McGregor’s work on AT&T SportsNet and put in a call to Steve Ackels, ESPN’s college football coordinating producer. McGregor was hired in September 2019 to cover college football and the XFL (later the UFL) as a sideline reporter.
A year later, in 2020, the Cubs launched Marquee Sports Network and hired McGregor as their lead field reporter. For the next six-plus years, she juggled both roles, covering Cubs games during the week and college football on Saturdays.
Taylor McGregor and Elise Menaker put their heart and soul into the 7th inning stretch on Girls Night Out ❤️🔥🎶 pic.twitter.com/InZTWraV4z
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 1, 2026
What Taylor McGregor Will Do at ESPN Going Forward
McGregor’s move to ESPN is not a fresh start. She’s been with the network since 2019. What changes is the scope of her work and the fact that she no longer has to split her schedule with a daily baseball commitment.
According to the Chicago Tribune, McGregor’s expanded role at ESPN will include:
- College football sideline reporting (continuing her existing role on ESPN and ABC)
- NBA coverage (a new assignment for the upcoming season)
- Potential college basketball reporting
- SportsCenter hosting opportunities
ESPN vice president Bill Hofheimer confirmed the trajectory in a post on X: “Lucky for us, and look for Taylor’s ESPN role to continue to expand.”
The move places McGregor in a position to build a national profile across multiple sports, rather than being tied to one team’s regional broadcast. It also gives her access to studio work through SportsCenter, which is often a stepping stone for reporters moving into larger hosting and analyst roles.
McGregor has already demonstrated range at ESPN beyond sideline work. She appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and carried a live broadcast during a power outage at an Alabama football game, a moment that drew widespread praise.
The Impact on Marquee Sports Network and Cubs Broadcasts
McGregor’s departure leaves Marquee Sports Network with a significant gap to fill. She was one of the network’s signature on-air personalities and a consistent presence that Cubs fans associated with the broadcast itself.
Marquee acknowledged the loss warmly, posting on X: “We love you, T-Mac.” Elise Menaker has been part of the Cubs broadcast team and could potentially take on a larger role, though the network has not formally announced McGregor’s replacement as of late September 2026.
The Cubs broadcast team heading into the 2027 season will be built around Sciambi and Deshaies, but whoever steps into McGregor’s position will need to replicate the chemistry she brought to the broadcast for seven years.
Taylor McGregor’s Personal Life
McGregor has kept her personal life largely private. As of September 2026, she is not publicly married and has not confirmed a partner in interviews or on social media.
Her family remains central to her public story. Her mother, Lori McGregor, raised Taylor and her siblings (sisters Jordan and Landri, and brother Logan) after Keli McGregor’s death. McGregor has spoken openly about her faith and its role in guiding her career decisions, including on the Sports Spectrum podcast.
She stands approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, and her estimated net worth is around $2 million, reflecting a decade-long career in professional sports broadcasting.
Career Timeline at a Glance
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Born in Denver, Colorado |
| 2010 | Father Keli McGregor dies; Taylor speaks at Coors Field memorial |
| 2011 | Enrolls at University of Arkansas |
| 2015 | Graduates with BA in broadcast journalism |
| 2015 | First job at KCWY-TV in Casper, Wyoming ($18,000/year) |
| 2017 | Joins AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain as Rockies field reporter |
| 2019 | Hired by ESPN as college football sideline reporter |
| 2020 | Named lead field reporter for Cubs on Marquee Sports Network |
| September 2026 | Announces departure from Cubs; joins ESPN full-time |
| 2026-2027 | New ESPN role: college football, NBA, SportsCenter, college basketball |
FAQ
Why did Taylor McGregor leave the Cubs?
McGregor left to take a full-time role at ESPN, where she had already been working part-time since 2019. She cited career growth and the desire for more personal time after nine years of daily baseball coverage combined with college football reporting on weekends.
What will Taylor McGregor do at ESPN?
Her expanded role includes college football sideline reporting (continuing), NBA coverage (new), potential college basketball assignments, and hosting opportunities on SportsCenter. ESPN vice president Bill Hofheimer has indicated her role will continue to grow.
Who is Taylor McGregor’s father?
Taylor’s father was Keli Scott McGregor, a former NFL tight end who became president of the Colorado Rockies. He died in April 2010 at the age of 47 from a rare virus that attacked his heart. His death was a formative event in Taylor’s decision to pursue sports broadcasting.
Is Taylor McGregor married?
McGregor has not publicly confirmed a marriage or partner as of September 2026. She keeps her personal life private.
Who will replace Taylor McGregor on Marquee Sports Network?
Marquee Sports Network has not formally announced a replacement as of late September 2026. Elise Menaker has been part of the Cubs broadcast team and could take on an expanded role.
How did Taylor McGregor get hired by ESPN?
Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Brian Griese noticed McGregor’s work on AT&T SportsNet in Denver, where she covered the Colorado Rockies. Griese recommended her to ESPN’s college football coordinating producer, Steve Ackels. She was hired in September 2019.
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