A stunning announcement came this morning as listeners of The Ref in Norman, OK, tuned in to hear that longtime radio host Toby Rowland will be stepping away after 21 years with the station. Rowland also serves as the radio play-by-play voice for University of Oklahoma football, men’s basketball, and baseball games.
This news follows Rowland’s appointment as Sports Director at News 9, the local CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City. He is set to begin his new role in July, replacing longtime sports broadcaster Dean Blevins, who announced his retirement on Monday.
On Tuesday morning, Rowland and his co-host, T.J. Perry, shared the news with their longtime audience, revealing that the show will come to an end later this year.
“As for this show, I have burned the candle at both ends before,” Rowland said. “I just can’t do that and don’t want to do that again. Getting up at five o’clock in the morning, doing a show, working all day, then doing a ten o’clock sportscast and getting in bed at midnight is just not healthy.”
T-Row in the Morning Show is the longest-running sports radio morning show in Oklahoma. Rowland and Perry have been a duo on The Ref for the last 18 years, becoming a staple in the Oklahoma sports scene.
In an emotional moment on Tuesday’s program, Rowland announced that the final show will air in June, with the exact date still to be determined.
“It is incredibly sad, and I’m going to miss it like crazy,” Rowland said. “I know a lot of people are disappointed. But if you’re going to miss it, I’m glad that means we brought some fun into your lives every morning. It’s just the way it has to be.”
There is no official word yet on how the station will adjust following Rowland’s departure, but Perry mentioned that he is also considering his future with the station.
“It’s sad. There aren’t many people who can say they had the kind of run we did, especially with one show,” Perry said. “It was a tough decision—one I had to process, too. Did I want to work with someone else? Did I want to carry the show on by myself? As I thought about it, I realized it was time to end it. I knew it was time to step away for a while. It was the right decision for me as well. Not easy, though.”
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