Joel Utley to be inducted into KY Broadcasters Association Mic Hall of Fame on Monday

September 24, 2022 | 12:08 am

Updated September 23, 2022 | 5:05 pm

Joel Utley | Photo from Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

The Kentucky Broadcasters Association will induct Joel Utley, known as the “Voice of the Panthers” for his historic run as a radio announcer for Kentucky Wesleyan College basketball, into their Mic Hall of Fame on Monday during their state convention at the Owensboro Convention Center.

Utley announced his retirement in August after 61 years and the radio play-by-play of 1,933 KWC games. He is college basketball’s record holder for play-by-play longevity and total games called.

Utley also has the distinction as the only broadcaster in the nation to call 12 NCAA basketball championship games (across all levels) including eight Division II titles — 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1987, 1990, 1999, and 2001.

Utley received his first radio job at the age of 16 with Madisonville’s WFMW, where he started out doing high school basketball play-by-play. Utley attended Murray State and then the University of Kentucky, where he worked at WVLK radio in Lexington.

In 1961, Utley came to Owensboro to join the WVJS/WSTO-FM and TV2 teams where he did it all – news and sports director, disc jockey, play-by-play for high school football and basketball and college basketball.

Utley’s KWC legacy started at the Owensboro Sportscenter on Dec. 2, 1961, when the Panthers defeated California State University-Northridge by a final score of 100-64.  

Utley has been selected to the Kentucky Wesleyan College’s Athletic Hall of Fame (2013) and Alumni Hall of Fame (2021) as well as the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (2016). He also received the National Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award (2021). 

September 24, 2022 | 12:08 am

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