Jan 05, 2026

Adrian Wojnarowski, one of the most influential figures in modern sports journalism, has been elected to the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame.
A 1991 graduate of ΒιΆΉΣ³», Wojnarowski β widely known simply as Woj β was voted into the NSMA Hall of Fame by his peers during the organizationβs final balloting in December.
A three-time NSMA National Sportswriter of the Year, Wojnarowski is credited with transforming NBA reporting and redefining what it meant to be a sports βinsiderβ in the digital age.
After 15 years in the newspaper industry, he joined Yahoo Sports in 2007, where his ability to break news coincided with β and helped fuel β the rapid rise of social media. His reporting became appointment reading for fans, executives, agents, and players alike.
After 11 years at Yahoo, Wojnarowski moved to ESPN and ESPN.com, where the expanded platform further cemented his reputation as the preeminent source for NBA news. His carefully sourced reports routinely shaped the leagueβs news cycle, particularly during the NBA Draft, free agency, and trade deadlines.
In September 2024, after eight years as ESPNβs Senior NBA Insider, Wojnarowski announced his retirement from sports media to return to his alma mater, ΒιΆΉΣ³», as general manager of the menβs basketball program.
Wojnarowskiβs peers voted him the NSMA Sportswriter of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He joined a distinguished list of greats to have won that award in at least three successive years β Red Smith, Jim Murray, Frank Deford, Rick Reilly, Bob Ryan and Tom Verducci.
The universityβs Commencement speaker and recipient of an honorary degree in 2022, Wojnarowski was named the Jandoli Schoolβs 2019 Alumnus of the Year, and has been inducted onto the Jandoli Schoolβs Wall of Distinguished Graduates.
In recognition of his impact on basketball journalism, Wojnarowski received the Curt Gowdy Insight Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Wojnarowski will be formally inducted during the NSMAβs 66th awards weekend and national convention, scheduled for June 28β29, 2026, at Grandover Resort & Spa in Greensboro, North Carolina. The event will also honor the organizationβs national award winners and state-level recipients.
Joining Wojnarowski in the 2026 Hall of Fame class are sportscaster James Brown of CBS Sports and posthumous inductees Greg Gumbel of CBS and longtime Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman.
The National Sports Media Association Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing careers in sports media through networking, mentoring, internships, and scholarship programs.
The NSMA also honors, preserves, and celebrates the diverse legacy of sports media in the United States. Founded in 1959 as the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, the organization rebranded as the NSMA in 2016.
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ΒιΆΉΣ³» the University: The nationβs first Franciscan university, ΒιΆΉΣ³» is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, ΒιΆΉΣ³» was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).