Clint Shields Takes Over As “Voice of the Bobcats” In 2020-21 Athletics Season

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Athletics and its multimedia rightsholder, Learfield IMG College, announced today that veteran broadcaster Bill Culhane is retiring as the play-by-play announcer for Bobcat football and men’s basketball.

A member of Texas State’s broadcast team for 27 years, Culhane has helped describe the game action for more than 250 football games and called the play-by-play for nearly 600 men’s basketball contests. He also handled play-by-play duties for Texas State women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball games during his tenure.

Since his first broadcast in 1993, Culhane helped describe the action in Texas State’s memorable 2005 and 2008 playoff seasons, the men’s basketball’s 1997 and 1999 conference championship campaigns, and the 2017 and 2019 CIT postseason tournaments. He called the softball team’s appearance in the NCAA Regional in Tuscaloosa, and baseball’s first Sun Belt Conference championship in 2019.

Culhane

“We are grateful for Bill Culhane’s dedicated service to Bobcat Athletics,” Texas State Director of Athletics Larry Teis said. “He has been an integral part of Texas State’s radio broadcasts for nearly three decades, and Bobcat fans have been fortunate to hear him call many memorable games for Bobcat Athletics. His legendary voice has become synonymous with Texas State football and basketball’s success when Bobcat fans listen to him proclaiming, “Light the Star on Jackson Hall,” following each team’s victory. We want to wish Bill, Tracy, and his family many years of success and happiness.”

“Being a voice of Texas State athletics, and supporting the Bobcats, has been one of the honors and thrills of my life,” said Culhane. “I’m grateful for the relationships that have been forged and thank the many people who have contributed to bringing the Bobcats to so many people. As I move on to the next destinations in my broadcasting career, I am convinced that Clint Shields and the new team will do a tremendous job in covering the Bobcats.”

Texas State Sports Properties also announced that Clint Shields assumes the play-by-play duties for Texas State football and men’s basketball beginning with the 2020 football season. Shields served as the analyst for Texas State’s football broadcasts in 2019 and has called the play-by-play for women’s basketball and baseball games during the past two seasons.

“We’re fortunate to have a familiar voice in Clint to assume the play-by-play duties for Texas State football and men’s basketball games,” Teis said. “He has nearly 25 years of experience announcing football, basketball, and baseball games, and we anticipate that he will do a great job in this elevated role.”

Shields joined Texas State before the 2018 collegiate athletics season after announcing high school football, basketball, and baseball games throughout Texas since 1996. He was the play-by-play announcer for nine years in Dripping Springs with KDRP/Sun Radio and served as news and sports director at KKYN in Plainview and KHLB in Marble Falls. Shields is a former analyst and radio play-by-play voice for the Lubbock Crickets, an independent minor league baseball team in the Texas-Louisiana League.

“Clint will be an outstanding voice of the Bobcats, and it was an easy decision for us to make with Athletics,” said Tom Boman, vice president of broadcast operations for Learfield IMG College, which manages all broadcast operations for Texas State. “Bill will always have a life-long affinity with Texas State, and we may call on him to fill in if the need presents. He has been a special part of the university, and we appreciate his talent behind the microphone.”

Texas State Sports Properties is the local Learfield IMG College team that works alongside the athletics administration. Learfield IMG College unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform. The company’s extensive content and commerce solutions create unique opportunities for fan engagement. Its suite of services includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; ticketing, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, the company has long had the privilege of being an advocate for intercollegiate athletics and the student-athlete experience. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.