ATHLETICS | Bernie Sandalow, who for 41 years has served as the LMU men’s basketball public address announcer and “The Voice of the Lions,” and who is an LMU Athletics Hall of Famer, has decided to step down.
Though he will no longer provide the public address announcements in Gersten Pavilion, LMU fans will still hear Sandalow during LMU baseball games at Page Stadium this year as he begins his 22nd season with the team.
A 1978 LMU graduate, Sandalow finishes his tenure as the dean of college basketball announcers in the West Coast Conference, and closes a run as one of the longest-tenured announcers for a single NCAA Division I basketball program in the United States.
Sandalow has been at the microphone for some of the most-exciting moments in LMU sports history, including the 1990 men’s basketball run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament under legendary Coach Paul Westhead, and LMU’s three consecutive West Coast Conference baseball championships (1998-2000). He has announced numerous conference championship tournaments hosted by LMU in both basketball and baseball. He has also announced many basketball events held at LMU and elsewhere, including the Special Olympics World Games 2015 Los Angeles and the California State Community College championship tournament. Altogether, Sandalow has announced more than 1,000 games and other events throughout his career.
In addition to LMU, Sandalow has announced events at the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Long Beach Arena, the Galen Center at USC, and the Matadome at Cal State Northridge. In 1984, he served as an assistant Venue Press Chief during the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles.
In addition to his sports announcing duties, Sandalow is frequently called on to serve as emcee for various functions at LMU, including Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and pre- and post-season team banquets.
Inducted into the LMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, Sandalow is also a member of the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers. LMU Athletics will honor Sandalow at halftime of the 3 p.m. men’s basketball game against Pepperdine on Saturday, Feb. 10.
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LMU’s Day of Giving teams up with LMU Global Happy Hour next Tuesday, Nov. 14, when the university will try to secure the largest number of donations yet in a single day. As part of the festivities, Athletics Director William S. Husak, Ph.D., and Head Baseball Coach Jason Gill will be in Orange County attending the LMU Global Happy Hour in the city of Orange. Join them at this event, or any of the other 29 Global Happy Hour events, and don’t forget to make your gift to help LMU on Nov. 14 at dayofgiving.lmu.edu. You can also help the athletics program by designating a gift to any specific team.
This past weekend was special for many of our senior athletes: Women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, and men’s soccer all picked up victories on their Senior Day games. The combined 20 seniors from the three sports all finish their playing careers with wins in their final home game.
Our freshman are also excelling, as women’s tennis’ Veronica Miroshinchenko advanced to Round of 16 in 2017 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships.
LMU Athletics would also like to invite all to men’s basketball Faculty and Staff Night on Nov. 28. This is a game that you won’t want to miss as we recognize our outstanding faculty and staff that do so much for our university, athletes, and programs.
