The new voices of University of Central Arkansas Bears football this fall will be familiar to football fans around the state of Arkansas.
Well-known television sports anchor Steve Sullivan and Little Rock radio talk show host Justin Acri will be in the booth when UCA opens the 2007 football season on Sept. 1 against Louisiana Tech. The games will also be carried live statewide on KABZ 103.7 The Buzz or on its sister station The Point 94.1.
Bill Johnson, long-time voice of the Bears, is now a member of the UCA athletic department?s Purple Circle fundraising arm after spending more than 40 years as the football play-by-play man for Bears football. Johnson, a member of the UCA Sports Hall of Fame, began calling UCA football games in 1966.
“With this partnership with The Buzz, we looked to do something that would raise our profile around the state and help our transition to Division I,” said UCA athletic director Dr. Brad Teague. “In going with The Buzz, and a crew of Steve Sullivan, Justin Acri and Monty Rowell, we will certainly enhance our image statewide and move our program forward.”
Johnson, a member of the UCA Sports Hall of Fame and a former UCA Board of Trustees member, broadcast more than 400 UCA football games during his career.
“It?s obviously hard to replace someone with 41 years of experience in doing Bears football,” Teague said. “But Bill?s continuing involvement in our program, in an enhanced way even, will be invaluable to us.”
UCA games will now be carried on KUCA in Conway, Crain Media stations around the state and on the combination of 103.7 The Buzz and The Point 94.1.
“We are excited to be entering into a partnership with the Buzz,” said UCA President Lu Hardin. “The Buzz is an outstanding sports network, and I look forward to a long partnership. Steve Sullivan and Justin Acri are the consummate professionals. To extend our reach this dramatically is a positive move for UCA Athletics.”
Sullivan, a native of Massachusetts, has been at KATV Channel 7 in Little Rock since 1999, and has been a fixture on the air in the Little Rock market since 1985. Acri was a sports anchor and reporter for eight years at KATV and took over as program director at KABZ in September 2006. He has been with The Buzz since June 2003. Acri currently serves as host of the UCA football and men?s and women?s basketball coaches shows that air on KATV.
Rowell is station manager at KUCA on the UCA campus and has been the voice of UCA Bears basketball for the past two decades. He will continue his sideline, halftime and postgame duties with the new game day crew.
UCA football will also debut a Monday night call-in show airing weekly on The Buzz. The show will feature Acri and UCA head coach Clint Conque from 7 to 8 p.m. each Monday night during the season following Drivetime Sports, live from Mike?s Place in downtown Conway.
“Now that we have Crain Media in the network, as well as the Buzz, we will cover the majority of Arkansas in our first full season of Division I and Southland Conference play,” Teague said. “We have a very talented radio crew that I know our Bear fans around the state and on the internet will enjoy listening to.
“And the addition of the Monday night call-in show will only heighten our profile across the state.”
