SALT LAKE CITY-Sunday, longtime University of Utah radio announcer Bill Marcroft passed away.
Marcroft, who began working on Utes men’s basketball sportscasts in December 1966, retired from sportscasting following Utah’s 2005 Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh.
From 1968-2005, Marcroft called Utah football games.
Following his graduation from the University of Utah in 1952, Marcroft called 440 Utes football games and 1,088 men’s basketball games.
This included Utah’s 1998 NCAA Tournament men’s basketball championship game loss to Kentucky.
The home radio broadcast booth at Rice-Eccles Stadium is known as the Bill Marcroft Radio Booth in his honor.
Marcroft was also a graduate of East High School in Salt Lake City and joined the Air Force after graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in theater.
While stationed in Tripoli, Libya, Marcroft called his first sporting event with Armed Forces radio and television, a football game played by military athletes.
Following his military service, Marcroft commenced his career in local media as a sportscaster at KTVX in Salt Lake City, reporting on news, weather and sports.
He then moved to KUTV in Salt Lake City, working as the station’s first weatherman and did delayed play-by-play broadcasts for local high school football and basketball games during the mid-1960’s.
He started with Utah Athletics, first as a color analyst and then to play-by-play responsibilities.
His first game as a play-by-play announcer for Utah men’s basketball was December 1, 1969, a 96-94 win for the Utes over Stanford.
This was also the Utes’ first game at what is now known as the Huntsman Center.
Marcroft received the University of Utah’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 at the University’s Founder’s Day and the 2014 Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation.
