The late Charlie Neal was a broadcasting pioneer and a legendary voice for historically Black colleges and universities.
Neal passed away on Wednesday at age 80. For fans of HBCUs such as Mississippi Valley State, Jackson State, Alcorn State, and other schools, Neal was the person behind the microphone and in front of the camera for decades. He called games featuring future NFL stars like Jerry Rice and Steve McNair. Neal also holds the distinction of calling the first college football game on ESPNU when it launched in 2005.
He was also a friend and mentor to longtime NFL Network reporter Steve Wyche.
“As a person, he was incredibly kind,” Wyche told Awful Announcing. “At the same time, he was like, ‘Hey, if you’re going to get into this business, you have to be serious and intentional and understand, especially as a black person, that it’s bigger than you, right? You have to open the door for others.’ He was always teaching, but not in a condescending way, just as a high-caliber human being who touched a lot of lives across a lot of different lanes.”
Neal’s passing sparked an outpouring of emotion and personal stories on social media. Wyche, a Howard alum, had known Neal for several decades. They crossed paths in the broadcast world and, in 2024, worked together for the first time, calling the Texas Southern vs.Arkansas Pine Bluff football game for HBCUGo.
“It was truly one of the highlights of my career, getting to work with someone I admired so much,” Wyche said.
“As the game went along, when we really hit our stride, we realized we had something special,” Wyche added. “Like, man, the timing was perfect. We could say we wish we had done this earlier, but the fact that it happened at this point in our careers makes it a really special moment, because I think he took something from that as well.”
Neal and Wyche also share a connection to the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Neal was inducted in 2023. Wyche serves on the selection committee, has served as master of ceremonies at the event, and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month in Atlanta.
“Even though Charlie is known for his impact on broadcasting, covering, and uplifting black college athletics, he was not only a pioneer but also one of the broadcast greats. He had this great voice. He had this great way of delivering and broadcasting, again, in a way where you learned. He touched lives, man.
“This is a guy who, when he would go to cover a game, would have basketball coaches stop practice and say, ‘This is Charlie Neal, everyone, you need to learn about this.’ He impacted lives in different ways, generationally and historically. That’s personal for me, too. He’s a class act. He goes up there on the Mount Rushmore of great broadcasters and great human beings in my book.”
