UT’s College of Communication and Information announced Thursday morning that Gene Wojciechowski (‘79), an award-winning sports journalist, will be joining faculty in August 2024 as a full-time professor of practice in the School of Journalism and Media.

Wojciechowski, a New York Times bestselling author and former ESPN “College GameDay” reporter, graduated from the college in 1979 with a journalism degree. He went on to work as a journalist for more than 40 years writing for the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News, the Chicago Tribune and ESPN, before transitioning into broadcast journalism.

When Wojciechowski was a student at UT, he was a recipient of the Edward J. Meeman Scholarship, a scholarship named for the founder of Knoxville News and first editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Wojciechowski said in the university’s press release that the scholarship was integral in helping him pay for college. Now, Wojciechowski will hold the Edward J. Meeman Distinguished Professorship.

“It is jaw-dropping to me that it has come full circle like this,” Wojciechowski said. “I owe the Meeman family continual thanks from the beginning of my career to the start of a new career. It’s amazing that the Meeman name is connected to both ends of that. They’ll never know how much that meant to me.”

In his time at the university, Wojciechowski also served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beacon and plans to dedicate part of his time as a professor to working directly with students at the Beacon and The Volunteer Channel, UT’s student-run broadcast outlet.

Where some professors of practice only work part-time, the announcement specified that Wojciechowski will be in a full-time role with the college. Joseph Mazer, dean of the College of Communication and Information, said he is looking forward to the wealth of experience Wojciechowski can bring to the college.

“The appointment of Gene Wojciechowski to the School of Journalism and Media marks a significant milestone for the college as it solidifies its strength in sports communication teaching and scholarship,” Mazer said. “Gene brings to the classroom a wealth of industry experience and unwavering dedication to the industry, making him an invaluable addition to our faculty.”

Wojciechowski said he is excited that the college is devoting more resources to sports journalism, as it is a growing industry and UT can play a large role in expanding sports coverage.

“Neyland Stadium is filled to the brim because people want to watch the product,” Wojciechowski said. “Broadcast rights continue to grow exponentially. Sports is a growth industry, so you need people to chronicle that. I think it’s a smart strategic move by UT to commit resources to covering that industry.”