• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 9, 2025

Why Is Woj Leaving ESPN for a GM Role at St. Bonaventure?

  • The venerated NBA newsbreaker returns to his alma mater in an administrative role.
  • Like many small schools, St. Bonaventure is figuring out how to compete in a changed landscape.
St. Bonaventure

The news started as one final Woj bomb, but for Adrian Wojnarowski, the move to leave ESPN is all about going home. 

The venerated NBA news-breaker is leaving the sports media giant halfway through an estimated five-year, $35 million contract to become the GM of the men’s basketball program at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater. 

To the uninitiated, this might seem like a deeply odd move, especially to Wojnarowski’s stunned colleagues back at ESPN. Why leave millions on the table to work at one of the smallest schools in Division I athletics, located in a remote part of western New York, and one still figuring out how to compete in a fundamentally changed and more financially driven world of college sports? 

But Wojnarowski has been deeply entrenched with the school, and particularly its basketball program, in the three-plus decades since graduating. He’s been a major benefactor to St. Bonaventure, was the school’s commencement speaker in 2022, is a regular sounding board for men’s basketball coach Mark Schmidt, and most recently, has played a leading role in forming and building the Bonnies’ NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective, Team Unfurl. 

The Bonnies also enjoy one of the most committed alumni groups of any school in the country. Full disclosure: I, too, am part of that alumni base, and am very familiar with that fervor. I overlapped for one year at St. Bonaventure with Wojnarowski. My wife and I worked at the school newspaper with Wojnarowski and his wife, Amy, and my daughter is currently a senior there. 

Now, the 55-year-old Wojnarowski is jumping at the chance to take that alumni passion to an entirely different level.

“After all these years of reporting on everyone’s teams, I’m heading back to my own,” Wojnarowski tweeted Wednesday.

Changing Landscape

The new position for Wojnarowski, meanwhile, also leans heavily in to a rapidly evolving GM role for college sports programs—a spot that did not broadly exist until just a few years ago. Historic shifts in NIL and media rights, realignment, and the transfer portal, however, have prompted a fast-growing number of schools to create such a position. At St. Bonaventure, Wojnarowski’s duties will include not only managing NIL opportunities, collectives, and the transfer portal, but also fundraising, aiding in recruiting, and helping oversee the program’s relationships with the broader basketball community. 

“Woj is the perfect person to fill this new role, combining his intimate knowledge of St. Bonaventure and our Franciscan values with a deep network of relationships he has built across the worlds of professional and intercollegiate basketball,” said Bob Beretta, St. Bonaventure athletic director. Beretta, also an alumnus, started in the role in June. “The fact that the preeminent journalist in his field is willing to walk away from a lucrative media career to serve his alma mater in a support role is a testament to his love and passion for Bona’s.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL and College Football TV Ratings Continue to Surge, Especially for CBS

The network’s singleheader coverage Sunday drew huge viewership.
Maverick Carter, LeBron James
exclusive

New International Basketball League Plans Launch, Without Maverick Carter

The venture plans to launch men’s and women’s leagues next fall.
Bucks

Bucks Reportedly Discussed Giannis Deal With Knicks This Summer

Antetokounmpo’s future will be a major NBA storyline this year.

Featured Today

Paul Cartier

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium
September 26, 2025

Steelers’ Irish Roots Are Deeper Than NFL Dublin Game

The Steelers have history and the foundation for a future in Ireland.
Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium

UNC’s Disastrous Season Continues With Report of NCAA Rules Violation

A UNC cornerbacks coach reportedly gave sideline passes to a player’s family.
Oct 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back DeShon Singleton (8) celebrates after making an interception during the game against Michigan State at Memorial Stadium.
exclusive
October 7, 2025

Big Ten Considering Investment From California Pension Fund

Under the proposal, Big Ten would spin assets into a new entity.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) drops back to pass during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl.
October 8, 2025

NCAA Revises the Transfer Portal Windows Around Coaching Changes

The exception for coaching changes is shifting.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Sep 20, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks onto the field before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium.
October 7, 2025

Big Ten Teams Grapple With Long Flights, Time-Zone Hurdles

Coaches across the country are noticing some impact.
October 7, 2025

NIL Hits Week 1: Auburn’s Atlanta Game Marks Next Step in Player..

The teams will play in the 2026 Aflac Kickoff Game.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) passes the ball during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl.
October 6, 2025

The Improbability of UCLA’s Incredible Upset Win Against Penn State

Before UCLA beat Penn State, donors were deeply unhappy.
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium.
October 6, 2025

Penn State Has a $50 Million James Franklin Problem

Franklin’s team lost to unranked UCLA on Saturday despite being heavy favorites.