Bannister named live commentator for 2024 Ohio Football

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ATHENS, Ohio— Veteran television and radio host Marty Bannister will be the live commentator for the 2024 Ohio football season, Ohio Sports Properties and Ohio Sports Director Julie Cromer announced today (August 26). Longtime co-commentator Rob Cornelius will resume his role for the 2024 season.

In addition to his in-game duties, Bannister will be the weekly Tim Albin The show starts on Tuesday, September 3rd.

“Marty brings decades of commentary experience and a passion for the sport across the state of Ohio,” Cromer said. “Over the years, we have seen firsthand the quality of his commentary work and his connection with Bobcat fans. We look forward to hearing more from him in this expanded role on our commentary team.”

Bannister is well-acquainted with Athens and has served as a live commentator for many of the Bobcats’ ESPN+ in-house men’s and women’s basketball broadcasts. Earlier in his time at Ohio, he provided commentary for the men’s basketball team’s 96-75 victory over Sam Houston State in 2016. He has been on the call for many notable victories at the Convocation Center, including the women’s basketball team’s 2020-21 victory over Notre Dame and several victories by both teams in the Battle of the Bricks. In addition, Bannister provided commentary for two Mid-American Conference championships hosted by Ohio: the 2022 MAC Cross Country Championships and the 2023 MAC Men’s Golf Championships.

Bannister, the longtime live commentator for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), has called the air for a variety of state championship football and basketball finals since 2006. He co-hosts the OHSAA’s “Friday Night Rivals” on CW Columbus, which highlights a high school football game in the greater Columbus area every Friday night. He has also been an executive producer at iHeartRadio since 2021, where he hosts, writes and produces “The Press Box” for Dayton-based Fox Sports 980 WONE, which covers professional sports nationwide.

Bannister was the voice of the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s basketball team for 13 years, providing play-by-play commentary. While at Ohio State-IMG Sports Network, he was also the sideline reporter for Ohio State football broadcasts and served as a substitute commentator for Ohio State football and men’s basketball broadcasts.

“It is an honor to be selected as the radio voice of Ohio football. I have enjoyed commentating on Bobcats basketball games on ESPN+ for the past eight years and getting to know so many Ohio fans along the way,” said Bannister. “I can’t wait to bring the excitement of Ohio football from Learfield to Bobcat Nation on the Ohio Sports Network.”

Bannister is an avid Ohio sports fan and has hosted, written and produced countless radio talk shows over the years. From 2011 to 2016, he worked for WBNS AM/FM-ONN Radio on Columbus’ top-rated sports talk station. Before that, he spent three years as news director for Metro Networks, working on statewide morning newscasts. From 2004 to 2007, Bannister was also the live commentator for the Columbus Destroyers, Columbus’ Arena Football League franchise.

Bannister was the sports director at WIZE/WBLY AM based in Springfield, Ohio from 1992 to 2005. There he anchored the morning news and a daily sports talk show while also being the “voice” of football, basketball and baseball in Wittenberg. In Springfield he began his decades-long coverage of high school sports.

“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Ohio Athletics for the 2024 football season,” said Matt Molde, General Manager of Ohio Sports Properties. “Marty brings years of passion and experience that will only enrich the gaming experience.”

Bannister’s career began at WBNS AM/FM radio, where he worked as a producer and sound engineer for a five-hour nightly sports talk show. He also served as host and sound engineer before and during halftime for the national coverage of OSU football and basketball broadcasts.

Bannister and his wife Amy live in Columbus, Ohio. They have four children – Corey, Amy, Alex and Sophia – and two grandchildren, Rian and Henry.

The Bobcats open the 2024 season against Syracuse on Saturday, August 31. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACCN at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY.

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