A familiar voice on ESPN’s SportsCenter for more than two decades, Jay Harris is finally sharing the good news about his health. After announcing his prostate cancer diagnosis in June last year, the 60-year-old anchor appeared on The Long Game NovaCast podcast, saying he is now close to winning the battle against cancer.

“As of this filming, 10 months later, still cancer-free,” Harris revealed. “I have another blood test to take to make sure that I still am. My numbers are super low, but it has been a process.” The diagnosis hit hard, but it did not blindside him. On Good Morning America, he said his father had beaten prostate cancer before him. That knowledge made the scare personal, and the urgency to act even clearer.

For most men, prostate cancer is survivable, especially when it is caught early. Federal health data show that around 98 out of 100 men are still alive five years after diagnosis. Harris’s case followed that pattern, and he is now using his story to push other men to get tested. He explained how one of his co-workers got inspired by him and took the test.

“One of my favorite messages I got from a former co-worker of mine after GMA, he texted me, said the weather was good and he was getting ready,” Harris said. “He was packing up because he wanted to go to the beach, wanted to hang out, and have some fun. But after watching, his wife watched me on Good Morning America, and she told him he couldn’t go to the beach, that he had to go get tested. Now. He’s like, thanks. Thanks a lot. And I thought it was fantastic.”

Before starting treatment, Harris had a PET scan to check if the cancer had spread to other parts of his body. The scan showed that the cancer was only in his prostate, so doctors believed surgery was the best option. Harris chose surgery over radiation, undergoing prostatectomy on June 10, 2025.

After the operation, Harris took a break from SportsCenter so his body could heal. He expected to be away from work for about a month while recovering at home. Then, a few weeks later, on June 23, 2025, Harris shared the positive news on his IG channel that the surgery was successful, as he was returning to SportsCenter on July 12, 2025.

“So I figured it was update time, since I got some news that the cancer that was in my prostate stayed there and didn’t spread to any surrounding areas,” Harris said. “So when you took the prostate out, you took that with it, so it’s all good. There are other details that I won’t bore you with. The main thing is, we’re all good.”

Even broadcaster Nancy Lieberman praised him and Deion Sanders, who recently recovered from bladder cancer last year, for motivating men about the issue and openly discussing it.

“Deion with his bladder cancer, which is a byproduct of, you know, prostate cancer, and he’s doing Depends commercials,” Lieberman said. “I mean, he’s such a proud man because he knows he’s affecting people’s lives. I’m so proud of him. I’m so proud of you. You’re changing lives, not only of white men, but in particular, black America.”

Jay Harris’s move towards cancer patients

Even before he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Harris had supported the V Foundation for Cancer Research through his work with ESPN. He hosted the foundation’s 30th Anniversary Gala in 2023 and later became one of its ambassadors after sharing his own cancer journey.

Since then, Harris has used his story to encourage people to get screened early and support cancer research. In December 2025, he also hosted the Harris extended his advocacy by hosting Conversations for a Cure at the V Foundation’s Boo-Yah event in December 2025, which raised more than $3 million for the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund.

Harris also honored his close friend and former ESPN colleague Stuart Scott, who died of cancer in 2015. Because of their friendship, Harris supported the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund, which funded cancer research and helped scientists study why some communities are affected more than others.

Even today, he is working towards helping people understand the seriousness of this disease.