Duquesne Legend Goss Voted '25 Durham Voice of College Sports Award Winner
04.01.2025
Winston-Salem, N.C. (April 1, 2025) – Ray Goss, who completed his 57th season as the radio play-by-play voice of Duquesne University basketball, has been voted by the National Sports Media Association as the winner of the 2025 Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award. Sponsored by Learfield and the University of North Carolina athletics department, the award will be presented during the 65th NSMA awards banquet at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C., on June 30, 2025.
A select group of NSMA member play-by-play announcers, including past winners, as well as representatives of the two sponsoring organizations, vote on the award.
Goss said, “I’m thrilled. I’ve won other awards, but they’ve been local awards. This is national, and to be associated with the late Woody Durham is quite an honor.” He said, “There are not a lot of good things about getting old, but I guess there are some advantages and this is one.”
Goss began his radio career as a student at Duquesne (Class of 1958), calling games on the campus radio station. His professional career began on St. Patrick’s Day in 1968, when Goss called the Dukes’ National Invitation Tournament game against Fordham at Madison Square Garden. His full-time status started the next season and has continued with only three missed games in that span.
Among Goss’ highlights, calling Dukes’ games:
- Has called more than half of Duquesne’s games in their 109-year history;
- Longest streak is 977 games, from Jan. 9, 1978 to March 16, 2011;
- Called a 75-72 win over No. 8 St. John’s at the NCAA East Regional in 1969;
- Called their next NCAA Tournament game 47 years later (2024), a 71-67 win over BYU.
Goss, 88, is a member of the Duquesne Athletics Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In addition to Duquesne, he has called more than 3,000 events over more than 60 years in broadcasting.
He and his late wife have seven children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Tickets for the 65th NSMA awards banquet may be reserved at https://bit.ly_4kyXzBT
Previous Winners of the Durham Award
2018 – Don Fischer, Indiana
2019 – Bill Hillgrove, Pittsburgh
2020 – Johnny Holliday, Maryland
2021 – Gene Deckerhoff, Florida State
2022 – Joe Starkey, California
2023 – Rich Chvotkin, Georgetown
2024 – Mike Reis, Southern Illinois
About the Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award
Created in 2018, the Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award recognizes professional college broadcasters who fit the following criteria: preparation; association with his/her school; tenure at their school; efforts in the community; mentorship of young broadcasters; character. The award is named for the legendary, 40-year radio play-by-play announcer for the University of North Carolina, and is sponsored by Learfield and the University of North Carolina athletics department.