The Official 2026 Public Vote

Your Vote Shapes the Hall

Explore the official candidates and cast your votes for the individuals you believe deserve a place in the United States Athletics Hall of Fame.

Bill Rafferty

  • Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
  • Embed from Getty Images
  • Sport(s): Basketball
  • Statistics & Accolades: National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
    Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame
    Curt Gowdy Media Award
    4x Sports Emmy Award Winner
  • Can anyone match the combination of whimsy and high-energy of Bill Rafferty?

    Following his coaching career at Seton Hall, Rafferty joined ESPN as a co-host for ESPN’s College Hops Tonight, but it was a move to CBS that made him a household name in hoops. Rafferty delights fans with his catch phrases, namely with “Send it in big fella!” (For a dunk), “Onions!” (For a shot made late in a close game), and “with a little kiss” (when a shot banks in). Entertaining and creative, Rafferty is timeless and a rare example of a broadcaster doing his best work after retirement age.

    We are proud to nominate Bill Rafferty for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
Previous Next
Back to List
© 2026 The United States Athletics Hall of Fame. All Rights Reserved.

Select athlete photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons and used under applicable Creative Commons licenses or public-domain terms. Images may have been cropped, color-adjusted or graphically modified by USAHOF. All applicable rights remain with their respective creators. Additional site imagery may include original digital artwork created for USAHOF.