Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame

The Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame pays homage to those who have brought sports at all levels to life for countless readers and listeners over the years. Conway (Faulkner County) sportscaster Mike Harrison, one of the state’s pioneers in the field, was the driving force behind the establishment of the Hall of Fame in 2007, noting that sportswriters and sportscasters “are never recognized and they do hard work,” and adding, “There are a lot of hall of fames, so we started the Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.”

The Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame is an offshoot of the Arkansas Sports Club that was founded in 2006. Harrison, who has broadcast well over 5,000 games play-by-play from high school sports to college sports and who founded the Creative Sports Network in 1977 and KTOD (now KASR-Arkansas Sports Radio) in 1982, both in Conway, formed the Arkansas Sports Club in 2006 as a vehicle to recognize the far-reaching network of sports media personnel. In 2007, the club started the Hall of Fame to further that effort. In addition to inducting new honorees each year, the Hall of Fame also bestows the Mike Harrison Excellence in Sports Media Award to an individual who works in sports but does not fit the traditional definition of a sportswriter or a sportscaster.

Members of the Hall of Fame include individuals with a wide range of career stories, such as national sports broadcaster Pat Summerall and Arkansas journalist and college sports announcer Rex Nelson. Among other members, especially on the broadcasting side, are some—like former Razorback football coach Frank Broyles and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean—who have moved from being high level on-field participants to popular figures in the broadcast booth. George Kell, who followed up his years on the baseball diamond with a distinguished career in broadcasting, was another early inductee. Honorees also include local figures like Mike Harrison, Dick Clay, and Charlie Crowell who were pioneers in initiating and developing the coverage of Arkansas high school and college athletics.

Broadcaster Chris Mortenson, best known for his coverage of the National Football League (NFL) on ESPN, is another broadcasting honoree. He moved to northwestern Arkansas in 2004 when his son signed to play quarterback for the Razorbacks, and he and his wife remained after their son’s career ended, making it their home until Mortenson’s death in 2024.

The Hall of Fame does not have a physical location, but its annual induction banquet is sponsored by the Hawgs Illustrated Sports Club. From its founding, the Hall of Fame has inducted two members each year: one sportswriter and one broadcaster, but in an effort to broaden representation from areas beyond the major media centers and media outlets, it has occasionally inducted additional members. The members serve as the selection committee, annually selecting new honorees from the state’s wide range of media members as well as Arkansas natives who have gone on to national prominence.

For additional information:
“Journalism Professor Inducted into Sportswriters Hall of Fame.” UCA Magazine; July 1, 2016. https://uca.edu/magazine/journalism-professor-inducted-into-sportswriters-hall-of-fame/ (accessed July 18, 2026).

Oliver, Mark. “Sportscasters, Sportswriters Inducted into Hall of Fame.” 501 Life, July 18, 2012. https://501lifemag.com/sportscasters-and-sportswriters-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/ (accessed July 18, 2026).

Ringgold, Buck. “Barclay Inducted into the Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.” Talk Business & Politics, August 2, 2025. https://talkbusiness.net/2025/08/barclay-inducted-into-the-arkansas-sportscasters-and-sportswriters-hall-of-fame/ (accessed July 18, 2026).

Souza, Chip. “Barclay, Womack to Be Enshrined into Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.” Washington County Enterprise-Leader, May 21, 2025. https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2025/may/21/barclay-womack-to-be-enshrined-into-arkansas/ (accessed July 18, 2026).

William H. Pruden III
Raleigh, North Carolina