Tony Pike to continue on UC Bearcats games in addition to Bengals work

Voices that University of Cincinnati Bearcats have heard for years on UC football broadcasts will continue, though the school will now uniquely share its radio talent with the Cincinnati Bengals .

Dan Hoard has called Bengals games for 15 years and has been UC's play-by-play voice for 27 years. After an announcement Wednesday, Aug. 12 , Hoard will now be joined by former UC quarterback Tony Pike on Bengals radio calls, joining the booth along with Ring of Honor lineman and color analyst Dave Lapham.

Lapham has done Bengals radio since 1986.

UC, Pike and Hoard all confirmed that the quarterback who led the Bearcats to the Orange and Sugar bowls under then-coach Brian Kelly will continue to be on radio broadcasts for the Bearcats.

"I'm grateful for the people in my life who have (bought) into me in so many different ways," Pike told The Enquirer. "I'm not where I am today without all of them. I'm excited to add this opportunity to work with the Bengals alongside many great people, while still being on the radio each day and still being in the booth for UC football. I'm hoping to be calling a Big 12 title and Super Bowl very soon."

Dan Hoard now has travel buddy for Bearcats, Bengals

Hoard has done his version of "The Amazing Race" for years, making connections from UC games on Saturdays to Bengals Sundays. Now, the pair of James. P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Famers can do planes, trains and automobiles together.

"I'm really excited to add him to the broadcast mix along with Joe Danneman (doing Bengals Pep Rally radio and preseason TV sidelines)," Hoard said. "Our broadcast just got better. Yeah, we'll have some sleepless nights coming back from places like BYU, but I find it to be a lot of fun."

Much has happened from 2025 to 2026

Last October, Pike was briefly laid off at iHeart Media but then brought back due to public outcry just before he was inducted into UC's Athletics Hall of Fame last October.

In between all of that, fellow Hall of Famer and longtime radio color analyst Jim Kelly passed away from cancer . Pike had to move from sideline reporter to the booth late in Kelly's illness and flourished in the face of sadness.

What about Bengals/Bearcats conflicts?

Hoard has made most of his Bearcats games, but in his absence, talk show host, game host and site engineer Mo Egger has handled play-by-play duties.

That will be the case for at least one game: the UC at Houston football game on Nov. 7, due to the Bengals being in Madrid, Spain, to play the Atlanta Falcons.

UC hasn't announced a broadcast partner for Egger for that game, and WLW-AM (700) will also have a say in the matter.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tony Pike to continue on UC Bearcats games in addition to Bengals work

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