Marc Spears to be Honored with 2023 Hearst Award

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications​ is very proud to announce and celebrate this fall the extraordinary career achievements of a distinguished graduate now nationally known and respected as a professional in sports journalism. We invite you to join us as we honor, from the Class of 1995, Marc J. Spears, Senior Sports Writer for ESPN and Andscape. 

Marc Spears Press Image

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Marc will receive the national William Randolph Hearst ​Foundation Award ​for excellence in professional journalism.​ The ceremony will be held at Hammer Theater, in downtown San Jose, California on Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Alumni and current students, faculty and staff, community guests, family and friends from the media and the sports world are all invited to join us for a heartwarming tribute and celebration of a Spartan original! Admission to this event is free. Information on how to register for the ceremony will be announced soon.

​The National Basketball Association has announced this year that Marc J. Spears​ ​is also a recipient of the ​2023 Curt Gowdy Media Award, and will be enshrined in the ​Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame​.​ This prestigious ​​NBA honor is given to members of the print, electronic and transformative media whose efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.

​From his earliest days in school, and throughout his time as an SJSU Spartan basketball player and sports writer for the nationally acclaimed campus newspaper The Spartan Daily, Spears ​h​as stood out for his relentless passion, and extraordinary dedication to the sport.  His in-depth knowledge and understanding of the game, professional standards and style have earned him the respect of players, coaches, and team managers nationwide. However, friends say Marc Spears’ uncanny ability “to connect with people and care about everyone he meets, creates an endearing level of trust that shines through everything he writes and reports.”

Meet this true champion of the “First Amendment Right of Freedom of The Press” at California’s oldest institution of highest education where Marc J. Spears launched his ‘dream come true’ reporting career! Look for more updates about this Sept. 30th special celebration.