Stephen A. Smith, a prominent sports journalist and TV personality, will speak at UF July 27 at 7 p.m., the UF Accent Speakers Bureau announced via an Instagram post Monday.
A host of ESPN’s sports talk show “First Take” since 2012, Smith is known for his over-the-top reactions and sports commentary. He frequently appears as an NBA analyst on SportsCenter.
Smith, who started his career as a basketball and sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1994, transitioned from print to radio and television in 2010.
He has been notably missing from “First Take” since the beginning of July to recover from shoulder surgery. He announced his return next month in a Twitter post Thursday.
The University Auditorium doors will open 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event. The event is free for students with a valid Gator1 card.
The announcement comes one week after university police lodged a felony complaint against a UF student after a death threat forced a “guest speaker” to cancel his appearance on campus, according to reports.
The investigation came about two weeks after TikTok star Josh Richards postponed his $60,000 June 29 event two days before it was scheduled, citing an unforeseen family obligation. The alleged death threat was reported to police June 28.
Contact Sandra McDonald at smcdonald@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @sn_mcdonald.
Sandra McDonald is a third-year journalism major and the Student Government reporter for the University Desk. This is her first semester at the Alligator. When she's not reporting, she's probably reading fantasy novels and listening to Taylor Swift.
