Jay Harris joined ESPN in February 2003 as an ESPNEWS anchor. He was chosen to anchor his first Sportscenter that May, and Sportscenter continues to be his main assignment. His schedule can be interesting, ranging from weekend mornings, to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. He’s also hosted Outside the Lines, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight and NBA Finals coverage. Away from ESPN, he is a sought-after event host, speaker and panelist.

Harris came to ESPN from WPGH-TV in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he worked his way up from “temporary” weekend reporter to main weeknight anchor.

He has more than 30 years of experience in television and radio news, including morning news anchor at WAMO-FM and national news at American Urban Radio Networks, both in Pittsburgh, and at WOWI-FM in Norfolk, Va.

A native of Norfolk, Va., Harris graduated from Old Dominion University with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication. In 2003 he was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University.  In 2004, he was the keynote speaker for Old Dominion’s 100th commencement ceremony and was honored to be chosen to speak at commencement again in 2022. He also served two terms on ODU’s Board of Visitors.

Among his other honors, Harris contributed to multiple Sportscenter Emmy Awards, he’s a recipient of a  Silver World Medal from the New York Festival Awards, Robert L. Vann Award from the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, and has an EXCEL Award from the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals.

Married with two young adults, Harris enjoys mentoring young journalists, playing bass guitar, and is an avid golfer. He scored an ace in a charity tournament in Las Vegas in 2014, his first, winning a car in the process.

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