Virginia Tech’s Bill Roth to take over mic as UCLA announcer
(UCLA Athletics)
By Claire Fahy
April 22, 2015 11:40 a.m.
Bill Roth will succeed Chris Roberts as the UCLA play-by-play announcer for football and men’s basketball, UCLA announced Wednesday.
UCLA’s new announcer comes from a 27-year career at Virginia Tech, where his work earned him entry to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Syracuse University’s WAER Hall of Fame. Roth was also named the Virginia Sportscaster of the Year 11 times.
“Bill is as accomplished of a broadcaster as there is in this country, and we could not be more excited to have him put his stamp on UCLA games,” said UCLA Athletics Director Dan Guerrero in a statement. “I know our fans will appreciate Bill’s unique ability to paint a picture of the action with his words and, when everything is said and done, expect that Bill will more than live up to the legacy set forth by the many great UCLA broadcasters that have come before.”
Roth’s final game at Virginia Tech will come this Saturday at the Hokies’ spring football game. The announcer will be honored by the Virginia Tech Department of Athletics with the introduction of the Bill Roth Student-Athlete Endowed Scholarship, an annual award that will be given to a student-athlete pursuing communications or broadcast journalism.
“Words cannot express how excited I am to be joining the Bruin family,” Roth said in a statement. “To be part of college sports’ most accomplished athletic program is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I cannot wait to be part of the next chapter of UCLA’s storied history.”
Compiled by Claire Fahy, Bruin Sports senior staff.
