Longtime KWC broadcaster Joel Utley announces retirement after 61 years
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - Joel Utley, the voice of the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers, announced his retirement Wednesday after 61 years.
Utley’s voice is recognizable throughout Kentucky and beyond. With 60-plus years on the job, Utley is the record holder for play-by-play longevity and total games called in college basketball history.
He’s the only broadcaster nationwide to call 12 NCAA Basketball Championship games (all levels), including eight Division II titles.
“It was a tough decision to make, but the timing is right to step down,” Utley said in a press release. “What I have done as a broadcaster reflects my love for KWC. My career has been beyond any dreams I ever had.”
Utley has been selected to the Kentucky Wesleyan College’s Athletic Hall of Fame (2013) and Alumni Hall of Fame (2021), the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (2016), as well as received the National Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award (2021).
In September, Utley is set to be inducted into the Kentucky Broadcaster Association Hall of Fame.
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