Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau
Announcer Dick Calvert leads a news conference for the Las Vegas Bowl Friday, December 14, 2018, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 | 11:04 a.m.
Dick Calvert’s voice cues the start to one of the greatest pregame shows in college basketball.
The phrase bringing the UNLV basketball team onto the court hasn’t changed for decades, as loyal supporters find comfort in Calvert’s distinct voice leading fans into another night at the Thomas & Mack Center, “And now, let’s roll out the red carpet for your Runnin’ Rebels.”
Calvert, who has served as the public address announcer for many UNLV events over the past 52 years, is stepping away from game announcing, the university said Wednesday.
The 86-year-old Calvert will continue to lend his voice to help the athletic department with radio ads and assisting with projects. He’s their longest tenured employee.
“Dick Calvert is a bona fide legend in college athletics as his unforgettable voice has become synonymous with not only UNLV but also with the city of Las Vegas as we grew into becoming the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World,” Erick Harper, UNLV athletic director, said in a statement. “We appreciate every inning, quarter, round and half that he has called over the last half-century for the Rebels and look forward to celebrating his amazing career during the upcoming seasons.”
Calvert is best known for his work announcing during UNLV basketball games, where he was the voice in the arena during the glory years with Jerry Tarkanian in the mid-1980s to early-1990s.
Calvert is charged with continuing a little bit of history. When the Rebels make their initial 3-pointer of the game, he proclaims how many consecutive contests they have connected on a 3-pointer UNLV is college basketball’s lone team that has never been held without a 3-pointer since the line was introduced in the early 1980s.
It’s a streak, just like the pregame festivities of rolling out the red carpet and the fireworks show, that is immensely popular with locals.
“After six decades, 52 years, about 5,000 games and events, and at 86 years of age, I believe it’s time to drop the mic and step away from UNLV game announcing for some fresh young talent,” Calvert said in a statement. “It’s been a super great ride and I have loved every minute of it.”
Calvert works about 200 events annually, including the Mountain West Tournament and Las Vegas Bowl, and proudly says he has done announcing for all sports.
He’s part of the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame. Calvert promises to remain a fixture at UNLV — and same with his wife, Anne.
“This university has done so much more for me and my family than I have ever done for it,” Calvert said.
