Bill Hillgrove, the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for Pitt football and basketball, was honored in June with the Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award by a vote of the National Sports Media Association (NSMA).
Sponsored by Learfield IMG College and the University of North Carolina athletics department, the award was presented during the 60th NSMA awards banquet in Winston-Salem, N.C.
NSMA member play-by-play announcers, as well as representatives of the two sponsoring organizations vote for the award.
Hillgrove is a Pittsburgh native and Duquesne University graduate, who began his Pitt broadcast duties in 1969, doing only Panther road games. The next season, he became the full-time color commentator, alongside play-by-play announcer Ed Conway. When Conway died in 1974, Hillgrove took over as the play-by-play announcer, a job he has held ever since.
The 2019 season will mark his 46th broadcasting Pitt football. The upcoming Pitt basketball season will be his 51st.