The Voice of College Football Retires

If you ever watched Big 10 or Pac 10 football on ABC, then you know Keith Jackson. The voice of college football has been on the job forever, and was a part of my Saturday morning routine. First, Froot Loops or Cap'n Crunch, then cartoons, and then Jackson and Michigan football.

Well, he announced today that he is retiring.

What's this mean for ABC? Likely a large branding effort for college football that has been deeply tied to Jackson. What's this say about televised sports - that if you have a personality, you can build an audience and a loyal audience at that.

While we are moving in the whole era of consumer generated media, YouTube rocks, blah blah blah ... it is still the televised sports arena that builds celebrity and experts that has yet to be replicated online.
Comments
5 comments
  1. Keith Jackson is, like Jim McKay and Kurt Gowdy, from that marevelous group of sportscasters that made ABC the worldwide leader in sports. We don't see people like these gentelmen anymore.

    This truly marks the end of the golden age of television sports broadcasters. I fear we will never see their kind again.

    Jackson is truly the voice of college football. There is no one else with his style and grace.

    I'll miss him. We all will.

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  2. Whoa, Nellie. He's the grandaddy of em all. How can I watch the Rose Bowl with no Keith Jackson?

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  3. Fuuuuuuuuummbbblllllllllllle!

    It's a slobberknocker for the big uglies down front!

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  4. It was a 'humdinger' of an announcement on a "beautiful sunny day in PaaaasaDENA, California."

    His voice, with and class will be missed.

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  5. Josh,

    Auburn is going through a bit of our own Keith Jackson situation. After this year's football season, Carl Stephens announced his retirement as Auburn's football announcer. Stephens has been our announcer for the past 27 years and has a voice that makes Auburn fan get goosebumps at the first "War Eagle" of the season.

    It's funny how we can form such attachments to a single voice. But as an avid Auburn football fan, I can still hear his voice and like I was at a game today.

    I sympathize with your loss of Jackson. Hopefully both our teams will land a decent replacement!

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