‘SportsCenter’ anchor Jay Harris shares he has prostate cancer

(Gray News) - “SportsCenter” anchor Jay Harris revealed he has prostate cancer.

Harris shared his diagnosis on Thursday on “Good Morning America” as well as in an essay on ESPN’s Front Row.

“Over a month ago, I received news no one wants to hear: I have prostate cancer,” the 60-year-old said in the essay.

Harris said he is taking a hiatus from the “SportsCenter” anchor desk for treatment but expects to be back in about a month.

He shared his treatment plan begins with surgery on June 10.

“And then I’m coming back better than ever,” Harris told Michael Strahan on “Good Morning America.”

His doctors are optimistic, Harris shared, and per his last scan, the cancer was not spreading.

“While that was quite the relief, I know that’s not the final word, and they’ll find out more when they go inside,” Harris said in his essay. “My hope is that they won’t find anything extra so that I can return to work in a month or so, 100 percent healthy.”

Harris said that he’s received a lot of from his ESPN colleagues, including his fellow “SportsCenter” anchors Hannah Storm and Brian Custer, who both have had their own battle with cancer.

Storm previously shared she was diagnosed with a treatable form of breast cancer in 2024. Custer had his own bout with prostate cancer and won. He is now a spokesman for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

In his essay, Harris said his goal with sharing his diagnosis to raise awareness and get other men talking about their health.

“My goal in sharing this is to the many others who also want to normalize this conversation and hopefully provide a bit of guidance and preparation, just as it has been offered to me,” he said.

He shared a story about revealing his diagnosis to friends on a golf trip and how it sparked a conversation.

“And the conversation changed from the stuff that guys talk about when they’re playing golf to all of our health things and our appointments,” Harris said. “Middle-aged dudes are having some real talk.”

Harris shared that his father also had prostate cancer and beat it. He also said he’s already had a conversation about prostate cancer with his 26-year-old son, saying that he may be “oversharing at times … but he needs to know.”

Harris has worked at ESPN for over 20 years, according to ABC News.

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