Craig Bolerjack, the long-time television play-by-play broadcaster for the BYU football and basketball teams, will be calling the action as usual from the Cougar Stadium press box Aug. 31 when BYU hosts Arkansas State.
But it will be the KSL-TV sportscaster's last game as the "Voice of the Cougars," the Deseret News has learned.Bolerjack has signed an agreement to be a play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN college football and basketball games, which will preclude him from calling the action for the Cougars as he has the past 10 years. Bolerjack flew on a red-eye flight to Bristol, Conn., the home of ESPN, early Monday morning for two days of meetings with the cable giant's college football management team.
Bolerjack, contacted Monday in his hotel room in Connecticut, didn't want to comment on record prior to KSL management having a chance to make a public statement. He did say, however, that the ESPN deal was "an opportunity as a broadcaster you just can't turn down."
Bolerjack has done play-by-play work for ESPN for the past several years - mainly college basketball and Arena football games - when it didn't conflict with his KSL/BYU duties. He will have a much expanded workload at ESPN this year, however, as he will broadcast eight college football games and as many as 25 college basketball contests.
Bolerjack will, however, continue to be Channel 5's top 6 and 10 p.m. sports anchor and will still host the popular SportsBeat Sunday and Sports Soundoff shows. In addition, he will host the LaVell Edwards Show on Saturday morning.
KSL, meanwhile, is searching for a play-by-play replacement for Bolerjack. Brad Steinke, the KSL weekend sports anchor who has hosted the BYU coaches' shows for several years, would have been a natural candidate, but he is leaving the station become the No. 1 sports anchor on the ABC affiliate in Phoenix.
"According to our contract, KSL selects the on-air talent, but BYU must then approve them," said BYU assistant athletic director Val Hale.
A bye week follows the Arkansas State game, and the Cougars' Sept. 14 contest against Washington is slated to be televised regionally by ABC, so the first game for KSL's new TV broadcast team won't be until Sept. 21.