News & Observer’s Luke DeCock named N.C. sportswriter of the year
The Raleigh News & Observer’s Luke DeCock will be recognized on Monday in Greensboro as North Carolina’s sportswriter of the year for 2024 by the National Sports Media Association.
Announced in January, the 2024 honor marks the third time DeCock has received the NSMA award, previously winning in 2017 alongside the N&O’s Andrew Carter and in 2016 with the Greensboro News & Record’s Ed Hardin.
NSMA members — made up of individuals from the sports media industry — in each state vote every year to elect a state sportswriter of the year, state sportscaster of the year and national winners in both categories.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by my peers like this, and I don’t take that lightly,” DeCock said. “I’m lucky to work for a newspaper that lets me do my thing and in a market where we’re blessed with not only so many sports stories to tell but people with an appetite to read them.”
DeCock, a sports columnist, has worked at the N&O since 2000, earning recognition for column and feature writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors. The former president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association has covered 10 Final Fours, the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win in 2006.
“Luke is a trusted voice, someone readers across the state turn to for sound opinions on the topics they so passionately follow,” said Steve Wiseman, sports editor of the News & Observer. “This award, so richly deserved, not only further cements his position as one of the nation’s top sports columnists, it continues the N&O’s standard of excellence that stretches back decades to include past winners A.J. Carr, Andrew Carter, Chip Alexander, Caulton Tudor, Joe Tiede and Dick Herbert.”
In 2024, his work spanned from chronicling N.C. State winning its first ACC men’s basketball title since 1987, Bill Belichick’s arrival in Chapel Hill, Florida State’s football season unraveling after suing the ACC and the U.S. Open golf’s tournament in Pinehurst. DeCock also specializes in feature writing, and last year, he explored the gambling addiction that wrecked the life of a former Hurricanes defenseman, Aaron Ward.
“Luke has a gift for capturing the spirit, history and emotion that define North Carolina sports,” said Nicole Stockdale, executive editor of the News & Observer. “His decades of experience have honed insight that makes him an indispensable voice in the Triangle. It’s wonderful to see him earn this recognition.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 12:49 PM with the headline "News & Observer’s Luke DeCock named N.C. sportswriter of the year."