John Ward, the legendary “Voice of the Vols,” passed away last week. And the University of Tennessee is holding a ceremony to honor his life and career.
UT will be holding a tribute to John Ward on Wednesday, June 27th at 6:00 PM Eastern at Thompson-Boling Arena. Family, fans, media, and others are all welcome to attend.
According to a release from the university, the event will be a celebration of Ward’s life and of his nearly four decades of service to Tennessee.
Wednesday’s event will take on a celebratory tone and is intended as a way for Ward’s friends and Tennessee fans to honor the incredible impact that he made on generations of Big Orange faithful during a rousing, Hall of Fame career behind the microphone that exceeded 30 years.
Storytelling will be the theme of the night, with several notable UT personalities, VFLs and those who knew him best are expected to share their memories and personal stories about Ward. The event also will be highlighted by multiple never-before-seen (or heard) video and audio clips from throughout Ward’s career.
Free parking will be available in the G10 and G16 garages. And after 5 p.m. ET, fans also will have access to free parking in administrative garages G3 and G5.
The event will not be televised or live streamed, so the only way to view it will be to attend in person.
Ward served as the radio play-by-play voice for Tennessee basketball and Tennessee football starting in the 1960s. His final season as the Vols’ radio announcer was in 1998, and the Tennessee football team won the BCS National Championship in his final year behind the mic.
Ward’s wife, Barbara, passed away on July 24th of 2017. Ward himself was 88 upon his passing.
