Brent Musburger, a longtime play-by-play announcer across multiple sports and host of the top-rated pregame show of its era, "The NFL Today" on CBS, will receive the 2025 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"The Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award recognizes broadcast excellence in pro football, and Brent Musburger certainly measures up to that standard," said Jim Porter, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame. "Brent has entertained and informed generations of fans – across not only pro football but college football, basketball, Little League baseball, golf, tennis and other sports – with insights and some signature phrases that became a trademarked style."
Musburger will be honored during the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week that includes the Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner in downtown Canton on Friday, Aug. 1, and the Class of 2025 Enshrinement on Saturday, Aug. 2, in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Porter and Hall of Fame coach Dick Vermeil, a longtime friend of Musburger's and one of his many on-air broadcasting partners, called Musburger to deliver the news.
"Oh, wow. Wow. I'm kind of thunderstruck. Holy, Toledo," Musburger said to Vermeil, the analyst on dozens of college football games they worked together for ABC Sports in the 1990s. "You know, I never expected this. … What an honor accepting this. … It's unbelievable."
Musburger is a member of the Medill Hall of Achievement at Northwestern University. While still in college, he joined the staff of the Chicago American newspaper as a sports writer. His broadcasting career started shortly thereafter, when he joined WBBM Radio in Chicago as sports director. He later was named sports director for WBBM-TV before moving to Los Angeles to co-anchor the nightly news for KNXT-TV.
CBS Sports hired Musburger in 1973 as a play-by-play voice. He took over as host of "The NFL Today" in 1975 and held that role until 1990. With him at the helm, the pregame show began an 18-year run as the highest-rated program in its time slot that didn't end until the program ceased in 1994 with pro football's move from CBS to FOX. Former NFL defensive back Irv Cross, winner of the 2009 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, was among Musburger's on-air partners on "The NFL Today."
Following his departure from CBS in 1990, Musburger soon joined ABC Sports (later the combined ABC and ESPN) and stayed with the network family for 27 years. His broadcast credits there included college football and basketball, World Cup soccer and a stint as a halftime reporter for "Monday Night Football."
After a short hiatus from broadcasting, he returned to the booth as the radio play-by-play voice of the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders for three seasons (2019-2021). He also launched his current venture: Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN), the first multichannel network dedicated to sports gaming information, where he remains active.
The breadth of Musburger's 50-year on-air career includes broadcasts of several NCAA men's national basketball tournaments – he is credited with coining the phrase "March Madness" – Indianapolis 500 races, U.S. Open and British Open golf tournaments, Little League World Series, Triple Crown horse races and NASCAR events.
"I just wish that Irv Cross and Phyllis (George) and (Jimmy) 'The Greek' (Snyder) were here to share" the news, Musburger said of his original "NFL Today" colleagues who have passed away. He later mentioned Jayne Kennedy, who joined the cast in 1978. "I certainly appreciate it."
