Columnist and humorist Jason Gay to deliver spring commencement address for his beloved alma mater (and to spite Michigan, probably)

Jason Gay figures half his wardrobe is red and white. His best friends to this day are classmates he met at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the early 1990s. Every trip back to campus is incredible, he says, “especially if we can thump Michigan in something.”

Gay, who has been a sports and culture columnist for the Wall Street Journal since 2009, will return to one of his favorite spots on Earth to give the keynote address at UW–Madison’s Spring 2025 Commencement. He’ll offer remarks at the ceremony for all bachelor’s, law and master’s degree candidates on May 10 at Camp Randall Stadium.

“Badgers don’t come more passionate than Jason Gay, and we’re equally proud of him,” says Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “He’s taken his UW–Madison degree and become one of the most celebrated columnists and writers in the country. We’re thrilled that he’ll be returning to campus to celebrate our 2025 graduates and to share the wisdom he’s picked up along his career path.”

“I‘m honored and humbled to join this commencement celebration,” Gay says. “This is a day to celebrate UW–Madison students and their families, and I can’t wait to be there.”

Born in Boston, Gay grew up in the nearby suburb of Belmont, Massachusetts, where he says he had an embarrassing and forgettable career in baseball, basketball, cross country and tennis. He has competed as an amateur bike racer, “finishing dead last in races from New York to Rwanda,” he jokes.

Gay began his reporting career covering Little League baseball for the Vineyard Gazette on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. He went on to work as a writer and editor for publications including GQ, Rolling Stone, the New York Observer and the Boston Phoenix. He is the author of the 2015 bestseller “Little Victories,” which was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He was named Sports Columnist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2010, 2016 and 2019, and in 2024 by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Most recently, he authored the essay book “I Wouldn’t Do That If I Were Me.”

Gay graduated from UW–Madison in 1992, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. He loves his alma mater, as evidenced by columns like “Badgers Must Beat Michigan to Save the World” and “Dream Team with a Miracle Coach” about UW’s 2025 national champion women’s hockey team.

“I still ask myself before big decisions: ‘What would Barry Alvarez do?’” Gay says, referring to UW’s legendary football coach and athletic director.

Gay lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife, Bessie; their two children, Jesse and Josie; a cat; a goldfish; two lizards; and a temperamental rabbit named Marshmallow.

“Inviting a speaker like alumnus Jason Gay to spring commencement is befitting for the class of 2025,” says Sam Mahlum, senior class president. “He is a demonstratively loyal Badger fan, lives the Wisconsin Idea and helps us all remember to not take ourselves too seriously as we transition to our next phase of life.”

For more information and updates on spring commencement, please visit the UW–Madison commencement website.