Michael Bonner

The Clarion-Ledger

Jack Cristil, who called more than 1,500 Mississippi State contests, died Sunday night at the at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. He was 88.

"As a lifelong Bulldog, my heart is heavy at learning of the passing of legendary MSU broadcaster Jack Cristil," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "Jack's deep love of this university was always evident in his words and in his deeds. He was a tireless ambassador for Mississippi State and he brought great honor and distinction to our university as one of the most revered radio announcers in American history."

Cristil was the 'Voice of the Bulldogs" for 58 years. He began in 1953 and retired in 2011. He called 636 football games. At the time he retired, he had called 60 percent of the football games played in the history of the program. He voiced 54 seasons of Mississippi State basketball, almost 55 percent of all the games played at the school.

"Jack Cristil connected with generations of Bulldog fans and remains an icon for all who love the Maroon and White," MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin said. "No school's broadcaster was as synonymous with their institution as Jack Cristil was with Mississippi State. Jack's passing leaves a large void, but I think all Mississippians appreciated his dedication and talent, and Jack will always be the Voice of the Bulldogs."

C.R. "Dudy" Noble hired Cristil in 1953. His career began with a 34-6 MSU win over then-Memphis State on Sept. 19, 1953. His last football game was Mississippi State's 52-14 win against Michigan at the Gator Bowl.

Cristil's first basketball season began in 1957. Mississippi State won 80-56 win at Union, in Jackson, Tennessee. His final call on the hardwood was at Tennessee.

After his retirement, Cristil lent his time to the production of a biography entitled "Jack Cristil: Voice of the MSU Bulldogs." The book sold 10,500 copies and raised over $170,000 for the Jacob S. "Jack" Cristil Scholarship in Journalism at MSU.

Cristil won many awards during his career, including the Lindsey Nelson Award, given annually to the nation's premier sports broadcaster. He was honored with the College Football Foundation Chris Schenkel Award in 1997 for excellence in college sports broadcasting.

In 1992, Cristil received the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. That same year, he was also the first non-coach/non-athlete to ever be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Cristill was inducted into the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

A winner of the Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year Award a record 21 times, Cristil was named the Southeastern Conference's Broadcaster of the Year in 1988.

Prior to coming to Mississippi State, Cristil broke into the profession as a minor league baseball broadcaster in Jackson, Tennessee, Anniston, Alabama, Clarksdale and Memphis.

Cristil studied broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota from 1947-48, before returning home to Memphis and eventually launching his professional career.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1925, Cristil is survived by daughters Kay Cristil Clouatre of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Rebecca Cristil Nelson (Andrew) of Tupelo, Mississippi, and grandchildren Jake Clouatre of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Lindsey Newhall of Tupelo. He is also survived by two sisters, Zelda Cristil Esgro of St Louis, Missouri, and Miriam "Mimi" Cristil Lapides of West Palm Beach, Florida, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Cristil was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Mavis Kelly Cristil, in 1988. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Mollie Kabakoff Cristil and Benjamin Herman Cristil of Memphis, by a sister, Charlotte Cristil Hiller, and by brothers Harold Cristil and Stanley Cristil.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday in Tupelo. Click here for more information.