Sports journalist, writer and podcast host Bomani Jones will give a free public talk Wednesday, Oct. 22, as part of the Roger Brown Residency in Social Justice, Writing and Sport at the University of Dayton.
Jones will be in residency Oct. 20-22, and will speak on the modern sports media environment and the future of college athletics 5:30-6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the Roger Glass Center for the Arts concert hall. Event parking for visitors will be available in parking lots D and S1 adjacent to Fitz Hall after 4:30 p.m. Parking is not allowed on E. Creative Way.
Jones hosts “The Right Time with Bomani Jones” podcast, was the former co-host of the ESPN sports television programs “Highly Questionable” and “High Noon,” and was a panelist on the sports roundtable discussion show "Around the Horn.” As CEO of Old Soul Productions, he also hosts “The Evening Jones,” an audience driven podcast discussing a range of pop culture topics. He previously hosted “Game Theory with Bomani Jones” on HBO, where he tackled sports and their intersections with the world, and contributed to “Back on the Record with Bob Costas.”
"We stand at a precarious place in history, one where the large issues are very clear, but the small ways to address them — and what to prioritize — is not,” Jones said. “For me, that uncertainty makes it imperative for us to speak to not just the importance of diversity, but the reasons it matters so much. I look forward to addressing just how and why it matters in sports and journalism."
The Roger Brown residency honors the late Brown, a former UD student-athlete, professional basketball player and member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1961, Brown was caught up in a national gambling scandal, was dismissed from the University and barred from playing basketball in the NCAA and NBA, despite never being charged or having any involvement in fixing games. Overcoming what are now seen as injustices, Brown eventually had a standout career in the American Basketball Association with the Indiana Pacers.
In 2019, the University of Dayton initiated an effort to honor Brown through the lens of social justice.
“Roger Brown overcame enormous challenges to achieve professional success, and for too long we, as a University, did not recognize that," President Eric F. Spina said. "Brown’s name lives on in an inspiring three-day academic experience for our students. We hope this focused look at the intersection of sports, writing and the issues of the day will lead them to work toward a more just and equitable world.”
The inaugural writer-in-residence was Wil Haygood, known for his 2008 Washington Post article that was the basis for the film The Butler. He also wrote Tigerland about the legendary rise of an all-black segregated high school in Columbus, Ohio, that won two state championships the year following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jessica Luther, an investigative journalist, author and podcaster who’s written extensively on the intersection of sports and violence off the field, especially college football and sexual assault, was the second resident in 2024.
Jones has written on sports, music, culture and politics for Vanity Fair and GQ, among others, for more than 20 years. He is a former contributor for SBNation.com, and the former host of “The Morning Jones” on The Score on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. He was an executive producer of “Rand University,” a film about former NFL wide receiver Randy Moss that was part of ESPN’s acclaimed “30 for 30’ documentary series.” He also worked on several documentaries.
Jones graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and got his master’s degree in politics, economics and business from Claremont Graduate University, as well as a master’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as an adjunct professor at Elon University and Duke University.