MUNCIE, Ind. – Mick Tidrow, a Sports Link alum who also owns his Master’s Degree from the Department of Media, will join the Sports Link staff as an adjunct instructor in 2023.
Tidrow will guide students in the nation’s first four-year academic track in sports production with an emphasis on play-by-play, sideline reporting and on-air presence.
He will also teach a class MDIA 326 a class specifically on play-by-play, presentation and podcasts.
In his role with Learfield and Athletics, Tidrow will serve as the radio play-by-play voice for all Ball State football and men’s basketball games, in addition to calling selected ESPN+ broadcasts, hosting coaches shows and providing regular appearances in social media packages.
A two-time graduate of Ball State, Tidrow returns to Muncie after serving as a television play-by-play broadcaster for Stadium and BEK Sports Network in North Dakota for the past two years.
Tidrow becomes just the third person in his role in nearly 50 years, following in the footsteps of Morry Mannies (1956-2012) and Joel Godett (2012-22).
“It is the ultimate honor to be the next voice of Ball State, which has produced an immense amount of broadcasting talent,” Tidrow said. “To be the voice of my alma mater means the world. A special thank you to my wife Gabi, Shawn Sullivan, Beth Goetz, Chris Taylor and Shane Nichols and the entire Learfield team throughout this entire process. I can’t wait to come home.
Tidrow called Ball State women’s basketball and baseball games, in addition to working the sidelines for football, from 2018-20 for Learfield. During that same time frame, he was a broadcaster for ESPN+ for various games around the Mid-American Conference, including basketball and football games, among others.
Tidrow also gained experience while directing broadcasting efforts for the Missoula Osprey (2018) and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (2016-17). In both stops, Tidrow served as the social media coordinator, helping grow the followings of each fan base.
Tidrow attended Ball State from 2015-18 while working towards a degree in digital sports production and broadcasting through the Sports Link program, the nation’s first academic track in sports media production. He continued his studies in the program for two additional years while earning a master’s degree in digital storytelling.
Tidrow’s first Ball State game on the airwaves is set to be football’s season opener at Tennessee, Sept. 1.
