A familiar voice is returning to the radio booth for Virginia Tech football.
Virginia Tech Athletics and its multimedia rights partner, LEARFIELD, announced on Friday the return of Bill Roth as the play-by-play announcer for Virginia Tech football, a role he previously held for 27 seasons.
The "Voice of the Hokies" from 1988 to 2015, Roth departed seven years ago to become the play-by-play announcer for UCLA football and men's basketball, a role he held for a year. He returned to Tech shortly thereafter, in Aug. 2016, as a professor of practice in the school's communications department. There he helped found Sports Media and Analytics as a concentration, a program which has since been elevated to a major.
In addition to his return to the booth in Lane Stadium, Roth will remain a part of ESPN's college football broadcasting team, calling games during open dates on Tech's schedule along with mid-week and postseason games. He will also continue serving as a professor of practice in the School of Communications.
Roth will not be calling Hokies basketball games this go around. He plans to host podcasts for Tech Athletics and will write a regular column for Inside Hokie Sports magazine.
"What an exciting time to return to the Hokies," Roth said. "We've got so many stories to tell and memories to make for Tech fans of all generations. There's so much positive momentum around Virginia Tech Athletics right now under the leadership of Whit Babcock and his staff. It's just awesome to be a part of it again as we kick-off the Brent Pry era."
"Having Bill Roth return as the play-by-play voice of Virginia Tech Football should be a seamless fit for someone whose heart has really never left Blacksburg," said Virginia Tech Director of Athletics, Whit Babcock. "Bill has been responsible for some of the most iconic radio calls in Hokies history and we all look forward to hearing him describe more memorable moments along with his longtime partner, Mike Burnop. Both Coach Pry and I greatly appreciate Bill's depth of knowledge on all things Hokies, as well as his colorful storytelling skills. Welcome back, Bill!"
After graduating from Syracuse's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1987, Roth used his demo reel from the 1987 NCAA men's basketball national championship game — which Syracuse lost to Indiana — to help land his initial appointment with Virginia Tech in 1988. Roth has been named Virginia Sportscaster of the Year 11 times and was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
"This is a special place for me," Roth said. "This stadium. This campus. This community. As a broadcaster and now as an instructor, I've seen how Virginia Tech impacts the lives of its students and student-athletes. It's just a remarkable place with truly caring and genuine people, and I'm just delighted to return to the booth with my dear friend, Mike Burnop. Reunion tours can be fun, and I'm glad we've got the band back together again!"
"Bill and I have enjoyed many memorable Virginia Tech moments over the years," Burnop said. "I'm happy to welcome him back to the broadcast booth in Blacksburg as a friend and colleague. From the National Championship Game in New Orleans to Michael Vick and the Miracle in Morgantown, we've shared countless games with Hokie Nation over the years. There was even that time Tyrod 'did it' against Nebraska! I'm looking forward to sharing more Virginia Tech Football victories and great plays with Bill starting again this fall."
Jon Laaser, who replaced Roth as the radio play-by-play announcer for Virginia Tech football and men's basketball in 2015, stepped away from the role in Jan. 2022, announcing that he was leaving to focus on mental health advocacy initiatives.
