STARKVILLE – For the first time in 58 years, a new voice will call the action of Mississippi State athletics this fall.

Veteran broadcaster Jim Ellis will take over as the play-by-play voice of the Mississippi State football and basketball teams, while continuing his responsibility as the “Voice of the Diamond Dogs.” Ellis takes over the play-by-play duties from the legendary Jack Cristil, who called more than 2,000 Bulldog games. Cristil announced his retirement earlier this spring.

“I’m honored and humbled to assume the chair that Jack has occupied for so many years,” Ellis said. “It’s has been a great privilege to be a part of the Mississippi State broadcast and I look forward to continuing and building upon the legacy that Jack has created.”

Former Bulldog quarterback Matt Wyatt will join Ellis as color analyst for football games, while Assistant Athletic Director Bart Gregory will be added to the baseball booth.

A native of West Point, Miss., and a 1969 graduate of Mississippi State, Ellis has been a part of the football broadcast for 32 seasons. He has hosted the postgame locker room interviews and scoreboard radio shows in addition to his duties as color analyst.

Ellis and Wyatt will be joined by John Correro on the sidelines. Correro, a Greenwood native, was a three-year football letterman at Mississippi State and has been a part of the radio broadcasts since 1979.