Thursday, 07 May 2026

    Billy Packer

    • Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
    • Embed from Getty Images
    • Sport(s): Basketball
    • Statistics & Accolades: National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
      Curt Gowdy Media Award
      National College Basketball Hall of Fame
      North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
      National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame
      Wake Forest Hall of Fame
      1x Sports Emmy Award Winner
    • College Basketball and Billy Packer. Forever, they will be intertwined.

      Following his playing days at Wake Forest, Packer ventured into the booth, and he quickly moved to the national level with NBC in 1974, where he worked until 1981. In all of those years, he was the voice of the NCAA Championship. He moved to CBS, where he performed the same duties from 1981 to 2008, and over his 35-year association with the Final Four, it was Packer who called its most incredible moments.

      As much as Packer was working at the highest level, his overly critical style turned off some viewers, but his no-nonsense approach reflected his genuine feelings. Packer could handle the criticism he received and never shied away from controversial takes, such as opposing mid-major teams in the tournament. He may have come off as a curmudgeon (even when he was young), but he was always true to himself.

      He called college basketball the way he saw it, and he was a technical wizard while doing so.

      We are proud to nominate Billy Packer for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
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