Saluki Hall of Fame Broadcaster Mike Reis calls it a career

CARBONDALE, Ill. – After completing his 44th season of radio play-by-play for Southern Illinois University, Saluki Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Reis announced his resignation in a letter to Saluki Nation on Wednesday night.

A 1978 SIU Radio-TV graduate, Reis called many of the greatest moments in the history of Saluki Athletics, including the 1983 I-AA National Championship football season, men’s basketball trips to the Sweet 16 in 2002 and 2007, and the 1977 College World Series as a student broadcaster. In total, he called 501 SIU football games and 1,325 Saluki basketball games.

Reis began his student sportscasting career at WSIU Radio and WSIU-TV in 1975. He became a part-time sportscaster at WCIL Radio in 1976, and moved to full time in 1978.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native was inducted into the Saluki Hall of Fame in 2005, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Among his many awards and recognitions, he was the recipient of the 2007 SIU Alumni Association Achievement Award for Service, the 2008 John Sanders Spirit of the Missouri Valley Conference award, and the 2008 College of Communications and Fine Arts Alum of the Year award. In 2011, Reis was named the Illinois Sportscaster of the Year, as voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.