Bill Hillgrove Day

Bill (right) with long-time partner Dick Groat (center) and Pitt Coach Jamie Dixon (left) courtesy of post-gazette.com

Today has been proclaimed Bill Hillgrove Day in the City of Pittsburgh.  The longtime announcer of the Pitt football (37 years) and basketball teams (42 years) and the Steelers (17 years) will have his day in the sun.  The Pittsburgh native had the privilege of calling four Super Bowls, a college football national championship, and countless top ten NCAA basketball games.   In 2007, Billy became a winner of the Chris Schenkel Award which is presented by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame which recognizes a sports broadcaster who has "enjoyed a long and distinguished career broadcasting college football at a single institution."  Only three other college basketball announcers have a longer tenure than Mr. Hillgrove.

Today's activities begin with an 8 a.m. mass at St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church in Garfield followed by a proclamation at 11:30 a.m. in the courtyard of the downtown City-County Building and a 2 p.m. reception at Petersen Events Center.

Here's to Bill, Pittsburgh won't know what to do without you when you finally hang up the headset.

Read more: The Voice of the Pittsburgh sports gets his day - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_731215.html#ixzz1Iw1R5Ume