REMEMBERING RAY CHRISTENSEN (1924-2017)

Ray Christensen was a legendary American sportscaster whose voice became synonymous with Minnesota sports, particularly through his five-decade tenure as the play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Christensen’s broadcasting career began in 1946 at the university's radio station, KUOM. He started calling Gopher football games in 1951 and basketball games in 1956. In 1963, he joined WCCO Radio, where he expanded his role to include news, interviews, and a daily classical music segment called "Musing on Music." Over his career, he called approximately 510 Gopher football games and 1,309 basketball games, earning him the title "Voice of the Gophers." Beyond college sports, Christensen also broadcast games for professional teams, including the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and Minneapolis Lakers.

In recognition of his contributions, the University of Minnesota honored Christensen with a banner in Williams Arena—the only one for a non-athlete or coach—and established an athletic scholarship in his name.

Christensen passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.