Charlie Neal Named A Finalist For The NSMA Hall Of Fame

The legendary sportscaster is listed among other greats for the prestigious honor from the NSMA.

Charlie Neal / Credit: HBCU GO

HOUSTON — Legendary broadcaster and HBCU GO play-by-play announcer Charlie Neal is a National Sports Media Association's Hall of Fame finalist.  

"I'm honored," Charlie Neal told HBCU Legends. "I just found out this morning that it happened. When you look at the names on the list, being in that group is an honor in itself. With Tirico, James Brown, Phyllis George, Don Criqui, Charlie Jones, and that whole group, they paved the way. They were around, and they've been doing it for a long, long time. Some of them are still doing it. Again, just to be mentioned and even considered, I feel it an honor."

The names being considered in the "Hall of Fame Sportscaster" category, along with Neal, represent a "Who's Who in Sports Broadcasting."

Other NSMA Hall Of Fame Finalists:

1. *Charlie Jones, NBC
2. Don Criqui, NBC, Notre Dame Radio Network
3. Jaime Jarrin, LA Dodgers Spanish Radio Network
4. James Brown, CBS
5. Mary Carillo, HBO, ESPN
6. Mike Tirico, NBC, ESPN
7. *Phyllis George, CBS
8. Tim Brando, FOX, CBS, ESPN, Raycom
9. Tom Hammond, NBC Sports

Charlie Neal and John Kelley / Charlie Neal and John Kelley

Neal, as a contributor, is a member of the 2024 SWAC Hall of Fame Class with Coach Fred McNair (Alcorn State/Southern), Coach Pete Richardson (Southern), Hillary Matthew Bossier (Grambling State Legend), and Earl Goldman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff Legend). The SWAC Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will occur the night before the 2024 Cricket Celebration Bowl at 7:00 PM ET, located at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, Dec. 13.

HBCU Legends asked Neal about his SWAC enshrinement. "It's an honor that I treasure. It's ironic when I started doing the HBCU games, it was with Black Entertainment Television back in 1980. And ironically enough, the SWAC was one of the first conferences that embraced what BET was doing. Joe Johnson, who was the president of Grambling State University at the time, was a big fan of Black Entertainment Entertainment Television and what they were trying to do at the time, and he pushed us to no end."  

Charlie Neal / Credit: HBCU Legends, Kyle T. Mosley

He continued, "I really owe a lot of that to him, the success of what BET was able to do. I'm very much indebted to them for allowing me over the years to continue to come into their area and broadcast the games from the Southwestern Athletic Conference."

Last year, at the 65th National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Dinner, the foundation honored Neal with the 2023 NFF Chris Schenkel Award for his distinguished career.

Charlie Neal's career has evolved from being a radio disc jockey to becoming the lead play-by-play announcer for HBCU-GO TV Sports. A native of Philadelphia, he began his career as a television sports anchor in Washington, D.C., in 1971 at WRC-TV (NBC). Neal also gained experience in Philadelphia, Detroit, and New York City before being hired by Bob Johnson to call games for Black Entertainment Television (BET).

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