Ley grew up in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he attended Bloomfield High School. He got his start in broadcasting at WSOU at Seton Hall University. After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Ley worked several minor broadcasting jobs, including public address announcer with the New York Cosmos soccer team, before landing his first major position with the ESPN in 1979. In 1980, Bob Ley hosted the first televised NCAA Selection Show, though the airing would switch to CBS two years later.