2026 tennessee state athletics
Hall of Fame

Johnny “Ballpark” Franks made an indelible impact on Tennessee State Athletics during two distinguished tenures from 1988-98 and 1999-2001, serving as sports information director before rising to associate athletics director for media relations and marketing. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished sports information professionals in HBCU athletics, Franks elevated the visibility of Tennessee State’s coaches, student-athletes and programs on the conference, regional and national levels. During his 13 years with the Big Blue, he secured hundreds of weekly, annual and national honors for TSU athletes and coaches, including the 1989-90 USA Today National Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year award for Teresa Phillips and two NCAA Silver Anniversary Awards for former Tennessee State student-athletes. His excellence in athletic communications earned him the prestigious Cal Jacox-Champ Clark Award three times, recognizing him as the top sports information director among Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Franks finished among the award’s top three recipients five times between 1990 and 1996, a testament to his sustained excellence in the profession. Renowned for his publications, game notes and media relations work, he became one of the most decorated communicators in collegiate athletics. Franks later enjoyed an 18-year career in sports talk radio, culminating with the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s Best Radio Sportscaster Award in 2026. His contributions to sports journalism and athletic communications were further recognized with his induction into the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2025, making him the first Tennessee State graduate and representative to receive the honor.