ON AIR:6-9AM Weekdays
Rick Watson is at the forefront of the Radford Sports Network as the “Voice of the Highlanders.” He has served as the athletic department’s director of radio broadcasting for 20 years and returns for his 21st season as the play-by-play voice for all men’s basketball games.
Watson also spent four years as the director of sales and sponsorship along with broadcasting. Watson has since transitioned into a more focused role with all athletic department broadcasting operations and content. Watson also serves as the athletic department’s host and emcee for all major donor functions, Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and the annual student awards banquet.
Watson carries sponsorship and sales experience over multiple radio platforms. He organized and maintained radio network sponsors and commercial rotation to develop and coordinate year-by-year commercial formats in conjunction with radio network sponsors.
Watson was on the call as Radford made its runs through the 2009 and 2018 Big South Men’s Basketball Tournaments, describing the action of his alma mater’s second and third appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Watson serves as the on-air talent for all ESPN Plus home telecasts for Radford athletics and selected ESPN3 broadcasts.
Watson spent the summer of 2018 as the “Voice of the Pulaski Yankees” for all 34 home games for the short season minor league rookie affiliate club. He will begin his second season in Pulaski in June 2019.
A 1991 graduate of Radford’s School of Communications, Watson was also the host of “Big Dawg Sports Talk”, a very successful sports radio call-in show in the New River Valley from 2001 through 2010 and has returned to host Big Dawg Sports Talk in 2020!
Watson currently resides in Riner, Virginia. with his three children, Stephanie, Ryan and Benjamin.
