Working in sports is a gift – Kevin Winter

When Kevin Winter graduated from Hofstra University in 2000 with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Speech Communications, he was determined to turn his passion for sports into a career.

For the first few years after graduation, he bounced around various sports radio stations in Boston and Providence and worked as a wire reporter for the Sports Ticker wire service. But in 2005, he took a job at ESPN Radio, which is where he would spend the bulk of his career.

For the next 20 years, he was an on-air host and anchor. He started off as an ESPN Radio Sports Center anchor and held that position for the duration of his time at ESPN, but over the years he expanded his responsibilities to include postseason coverage and play-by-play broadcasts.

Eventually, he became one of the network’s most prolific play-by-play hosts, covering 9 NBA Finals; 10 World Series; two CFB Playoff National Championship games; two World Cups; a handful of golf majors; more than 20 All-Star weekends and close to a thousand regular season games, including the NFL.

For Winter, the most fulfilling part of his time at ESPN was the love and support he received from his colleagues. “I had some of the best play-by-play voices in the country all say they wanted to work with me and that if I was on the game, it was a big game,” he said. “That is one of the best things that an on-air talent can ever hear.”

After leaving ESPN in early 2025, Winter was considering a career in teaching and contemplated becoming an adjunct professor. At this crossroads, he was approached by Sean Kelley, the Voice of the Gators and a personal friend, who informed him of an open position at UF for WRUF’s brand manager.

In his short time at CJC, he has become a teacher and mentor for many students looking to get into sports media, and he hopes to impart
his love for sports broadcasting onto the next generation of journalists. “I treat every day working in sports like it’s a gift, and it should be treated with excitement and enthusiasm,” he said. “That is something I have stressed to my students in my first half year at UF.”

This profile was featured in the 2026 Dean’s Report.

Category: College News, Profiles, Staff Profiles
Tagged: Dean’s Report 2026 Journalism Kevin Winter
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