A trio of ESPNers – founder Bill Rasmussen, legendary broadcaster Lee Corso and pioneering technical director Marc Herklotz – were named to the 10-member Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2025 announced on Thursday.
Each individual in the 2025 class has impacted the sports TV industry in profound and unique ways. Here’s a closer look at the ESPN honorees:
Bill Rasmussen (Emeritus): The founder of ESPN, Rasmussen changed the nature of the relationship between television and sports. He founded the network in the summer of 1978 and by the following year he had found an investor and had the network on air. His vision also extended to programming where he created the SportsCenter brand which is still core to the mission of ESPN. And he also changed the relationship with advertisers, getting Anheuser Busch to ink its largest cable TV advertising contract ever. While Rasmussen’s time at ESPN was relatively short lived his vision and impact will live on forever.
Lee Corso (Analyst): Corso is one of college football’s signature voices and a member of ESPN’s nine-time Emmy-Award winning College GameDay Built by The Home Depot Saturday morning pregame show. He retired this past weekend after nearly four decades as one of the few bigger-than-life broadcast personalities who was seen as an authentic and fun on-air commentator. He has been a constant in ESPN’s coverage, including countless national championships and other major college football events. Corso joined ESPN in 1987 and is College GameDay’s only remaining original on-air personality (He was a contributor in 1987-88 and joined as a full-time analyst in 1989).
Marc Herklotz (Technical Crafts): Technical Director Marc Herklotz made significant contributions to sports broadcasting, particularly at ESPN, where he pioneered key technical elements such as the network-wide replay wipe in the mid-90s, a feature that became a hallmark of ESPN’s broadcast style. He also helped establish standards for delivering animation elements to technical directors in remote production settings, shaping the execution of broadcasts across the network. His work set the foundation for many of ESPN’s technical advancements during his tenure. Marc’s career at ESPN spanned from 1989 to 2019, where he served as the technical director for numerous high-profile sports events. Throughout his remarkable career, Marc received multiple awards, including four National Emmy Awards for technical direction for events such as the 1992 America’s Cup and 1996 Summer Olympics, as well as a Regional Emmy Award in 1989. With over 30 years at ESPN/ABC, he participated in at least 2,000 events and missed only two days of work due to illness, showcasing his dedication. Marc’s technical mastery, longevity, and consistency made him a highly respected figure in the industry, particularly for his role in ESPN’s NFL broadcasts from 1996 to 2019, including Monday Night Football.
In addition to Rasmussen, Corso and Herklotz, two other members of the 2025 class have ESPN ties – legendary broadcaster Greg Gumbel (1981-86) and acclaimed reporter Pam Oliver (1993-95).
Other notable ESPN employees who have been inducted in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in past years include Chris Berman, Hubie Brown, Bob Ley, Chris Mortensen and Dick Vitale.
This year’s class will be inducted Dec. 16 in New York.
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