'Jack Cristil Highway' Ceremony Set For June 20
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The public ceremony officially dedicating a portion of
U.S. Highway 82 in honor of legendary Mississippi State sports announcer Jack
Cristil takes place Monday [June 20] on the university campus.
To be held in the Colvard Student Union's Foster Ballroom, the 2 p.m.
program will pay further tribute to the iconic sportscaster.
A replica of the highway sign to be placed on a segment of U.S. Highway 82
will be unveiled. Also known as the 82 Bypass, the portion within the Starkville
corporate limits is being designated the "Jack Cristil Highway."
The program will include remarks by MSU President Mark E. Keenum; Mike
Tagert, Northern District transportation commissioner; Starkville Mayor Parker
Wiseman; and Jim Ellis, the university's senior sports broadcaster and longtime
Cristil associate. A brief reception follows.
A Tupelo resident, Cristil served as the "voice of the Bulldogs" from
1953-2011, calling play-by-play action for more than 1,500 college football and
basketball games during his 58-year career. During that time, he earned numerous
honors, including the Lindsey Nelson Award given annually to the nation's
premier sports broadcaster.
His other honors include the prestigious College Football Foundation Chris
Schenkel Award and the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award of the National
Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. He was named Mississippi
Sportscaster of the Year a record 21 times and became the first
non-coach/non-athlete inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.