Oregon athletics announces death of women's basketball announcer, football pregame host Terry Jonz

A staple of Oregon athletics is sadly no more, as long time women’s basketball announcer and football pregame radio show host Terry Jonz died on Feb. 20, the school announced on Tuesday. He was 70.

Jonz, according to the university release, died after almost a year fighting non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Along with the university release, the Oregon football Twitter/X account posted a brief tribute to the late broadcaster.

“The Oregon football family is heartbroken at the loss of Terry Jonz, the voice of UO women’s basketball and host of the football pregame show for the last two decades,” the post said. “Our thoughts are with his family through this difficult time.”

Jonz began working as an engineer on men’s basketball broadcasts for the Oregon Sports Network in 1997 and quickly moved into the same role for football. He eventually became the play-by-play announcer — AKA “the voice of” — the Oregon women’s basketball program in 2005 and around the same time began hosting the football pregame radio show.

“The entire Oregon women’s basketball family is mourning the loss of Terry, whose passion for the program and the people in it was unparalleled,” UO women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves said in the release announcing Jonz’ death. “We all miss his enthusiasm for our Ducks on the air and off, and the professionalism he brought to his broadcasts. We’ve lost a man I considered not just a colleague but a friend, and my thoughts go out to his family at this difficult time.”

A celebration of Jonz’ life is being planned for later in the spring, according to the release.

An Oregon native, born in Willamette, perhaps the greatest irony is that Jonz played baseball for and got his college from Oregon State, the bitter in-state rival for the Ducks. But after spending so many hours on air in Eugene, so many precious moments with fans, old forces in current rivalries can surely be accepted by the other side.

And after a career of helping giving voice to Oregon athletics, Jonz will be fondly remembered by Ducks for years.

“Not a lot of words can express the feelings of loss and love for a wonderful man who was very much like a brother, and so beloved by the fans,” said Jerry Allen, one of Jonz’ long time colleagues. “I’m sure he has a courtside seat in heaven, waiting for us to join him one day to get the old broadcast team back together.”