The Sports@CJC Ring of Honor recognizes UF alumni, faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to the sports journalism, media and communications industries and positively represent the values and impact of the College and its Sports@CJC program. You can nominate someone for the 2025 class here.
2024 Ring of Honor Inductees
Walter L. “Red” Barber
B.S. Journalism 1934, UFCJC Hall of Fame 1970
Red Barber was a legendary sports announcer who started his broadcasting career at UF’s WRUF-AM in 1930. He went on to become a radio and television announcer for the Cincinnati Reds (1934–39), Brooklyn Dodgers (1939–53) and New York Yankees (1954–66).
Joan Ryan
B.S. Journalism 1981 and UFCJC Hall of Fame 2000
Joan Ryan is an award-winning journalist, author and sports media consultant. She was a pioneer in sports journalism as one of the first female sports columnists in the country and covered every major sporting event from the Super Bowl and the World Series to the Olympics and championship fights.
George Solomon
B.S. Journalism 1963 and UFCJC Hall of Fame 1991
George Solomon worked at The Washington Post from 1972 to 2009, serving as sports editor from 1975-2003 and a Sunday sports columnist from 2003-2009. He was the founding director of the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and a member of Univeristy of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism faculty from 2003 to 2020.
2023 Ring of Honor Inductees
Edward Aschoff
B.S. Journalism 2008
Edward Aschoff was a respected college football reporter who passed away on Dec. 24, 2019 at the age of 34 after a brief illness. His career included reporting for ESPN.com, SportsCenter, SEC Network and ESPN Radio, in addition to working as a sideline reporter during college football games for both radio and TV.
John Wright
Dean and Professor Emeritus
John Wright served as CJC dean, executive associate dean, associate dean for graduate studies, graduate coordinator, and interim department chair. After stepping down as dean in 2018, he was named director of Sports Journalism and Communications for the College and helped design the popular Sports and Media specialization.