STARKVILLE — Jack Cristil”s 58-year radio broadcasting career at Mississippi State will end later this week after he announced Wednesday he was stepping down as basketball and football play-by-play announcer due to health concerns.
Cristil”s last game will be the MSU men”s basketball team”s basketball matchup Saturday at the University of Tennessee.
Cristil said physicians have told him he needs kidney dialysis, which forced him to decide to end his career as the voice of the Bulldogs.
“All good things, as they say in the trade, must come to an end sooner or later,” Cristil said. “Please accept my genuine, my honest, and heartfelt thank you for the kindness you have displayed to me during my 58 years. It has been one genuine pleasure to be associated with such a magnificent university.
“The Mississippi State University family is second to none. And as family I know you understand. Thank you very much, and may God”s blessings be upon you.”
Color analyst Jim Ellis, who has called games with Cristil since 1979, will handle play-by-play duties for the rest of the basketball season.
MSU will announce a permanent replacement at a later date.
Cristil, 85, called his last game on MSU”s campus Wednesday night — an 84-82 MSU loss to LSU. He called 636 football games since 1953, and will have called 1,539 basketball games when he retires Saturday.
Cristil”s last football game was MSU”s 52-14 win against Michigan in the Gator Bowl in January.
“Jack Cristil has connected with generations of Bulldog fans and is an icon for all who love the Maroon and White,” MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin said. “No school”s broadcaster is as synonymous with their institution as Jack Cristil is with Mississippi State. Jack”s decision leaves a large void. All Mississippians appreciate his dedication and sacrifice, and he will always be the Voice of the Bulldogs.”
Cristil was hired by former athletic director C.R. “Dudy” Noble in 1953. He began his broadcasting career at MSU with a 34-6 win against Memphis on Sept. 19, 1953.
Cristil”s first basketball season was 1957-58, MSU”s third under four-time Southeastern Conference championship-winning coach Babe McCarthy.
Cristil studied broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota from 1947-48 before returning to Memphis, his hometown, to begin his broadcasting career. He broke into the business as a minor league baseball broadcaster, working in Jackson, Tenn., Anniston, Ala., Clarksdale, and Memphis. He also broadcast high school and junior college games.
Cristil was most recently presented the Lindsey Nelson Award, given annually to the nation”s premier sports broadcaster.
In 1992, Cristil received the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. That same year, he also was the first non-coach/athlete to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
Cristil was named the SEC”s Broadcaster of the Year in 1988, and won the Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year Award a record 21 times.
“It”s a sad time from that standpoint, but again, I hate it happens in the middle of a season,” Ellis said. “But you think about the run he”s had. I feel sad for him, but I feel glad for him, too. The fact he”s had the privilege to do what he enjoyed doing for 58 years. That”s amazing, and he”s done it so well.”
Cristil mentored Ellis, who after graduating from college was unsure of what he wanted to do. Ellis, who said Cristil called the first game he”d heard when he was 6, thought about being a broadcaster and felt fortunate Cristil was there to help him.
“When I came here, I was really a novice,” said Ellis, who is the play-by-play broadcaster for MSU baseball. “He”s been really great to me for the whole time I”ve been here.”
Ellis, 63, has known “for a while” Cristil”s final broadcast was coming, but like everyone else, he found out the news before Wednesday”s game.
Cristil”s legendary career will be remembered for his old-school, descriptive style, Ellis said.
“From the 50s through probably the mid-80s, Mississippi State didn”t have many games on TV, and he was the story,” Ellis said. “He told the Mississippi State story, and that”s what people heard. Those broadcasters have a different style than today”s broadcasters. Most of today”s broadcasters have a TV background; He was purely radio. He tried to paint a picture and let people know what”s going (with) a lot more description. He”s one of the last true radio broadcasters left.”
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