An iconic voice of Kansas athletics — and a former broadcaster for the Kansas City Royals — is calling it quits following this college basketball season.
Bob Davis, who has served as the play-by-by broadcaster for the Kansas Jayhawks for 32 seasons, will retire in 2016, KU announced Tuesday. That means Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown at Memorial Stadium will be his final college football broadcast.
“I’ve been really lucky to be the ‘Voice of the Jayhawks’ for 32 years,” Davis said. “It was a dream job for me when it happened.”
Davis, who graduated from Topeka West High School and Washburn University, started at Kansas in the fall of 1984, embarking on a career that would include eight of Kansas’ 14 Final Four appearances and NCAA titles in 1988 and 2008. He also called six bowl games, including Kansas’ Orange Bowl triumph after the 2007 season. His legendary voice was present for nearly every significant moment during the tenures of Larry Brown, Roy Williams and Bill Self.
“Bob Davis is an institution in the state of Kansas,” KU athletic director Sheahon Zenger said, “and we thank him for everything he’s meant to KU. Jayhawk fans here and around the country have grown up listening to Bob and consider him a member of their family. We at KU will always consider Bob part of our family.”
For Kansas City area sports fans, Davis, 71, also left an indelible mark as a long-time broadcaster with the Kansas City Royals. Davis spent 16 years broadcasting Royals game, shepherding fans through the dark years on radio and television. Davis announced his retirement from his Royals duties in February 2013.
Before taking over at Kansas, Davis spent 16 years broadcasting Fort Hays State University sports, including Fort Hays’ first NAIA basketball national championship in 1984. A member of the FHSU Hall of Fame, Davis also called games at Hays High School and Thomas More Prep, in addition to broadcasts of the Wichita Aeros Triple-A baseball team for KWCH-TV.
Davis’ career began in 1968 at KAYS Radio and TV. According to Davis, his duties included everything from “board shift, to a noon TV show, to running the camera for the 6 p.m., newscast, to doing the sports on the 10 p.m., newscast.” Davis also worked for 20 years as a morning sports anchor at KMBZ Radio in Kansas City.
“I had a wonderful first job out in western Kansas at Hays, 16 years there with college and high school sports and a lot of baseball,” Davis said. “Then to come to Lawrence and be able to follow the Jayhawks — bowl games, eight Final Fours and some terrific moments, seeing a team win an Orange Bowl and two national (basketball) championships and three other national championship games.”
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
