Duquesne Honors Longtime Broadcaster Ray Goss

The Dukes paid tribute to the play-by-play voice who called their games for 58 seasons before his death at age 89.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Awards

Expressive sports illustration of an empty chair and white and gold flowers at a basketball scorers table in a softly blurred arena. — The Duquesne Dukes honored broadcaster Ray Goss, who called their games for 58 seasons, with a tribute at their home opener against Purdue-Fort Wayne. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Duquesne Dukes held a tribute ceremony for broadcaster Ray Goss at the season opener at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh. Goss, who died April 28, 2026, at age 89, was the play-by-play voice for the Dukes for 58 seasons.

Why it matters

Goss was the longest-tenured announcer in NCAA, and the ceremony recognized a broadcast career that spanned radio stations and community institutions across western Pennsylvania. The tribute marks the first Dukes game since his death.

Goss was part of WDAD in the 1950s and later became its General Manager, and he co-founded WIRD, later WCCS, in 1986. His 58 seasons with the Dukes make him the longest-tenured announcer in NCAA, though the source does not detail how that tenure is ranked against other programs.

The players

Duquesne Dukes

The men's basketball program of Duquesne University, a Pittsburgh-based Division I team in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Ray Goss

A longtime Pittsburgh-area sports broadcaster who served as the play-by-play voice of the Duquesne Dukes for 58 seasons and was the longtime voice of the Indiana County Fair.

The details

At the Dukes' home opener, ceremonies were held at mid-court before the game against Purdue-Fort Wayne, including a highlight reel of Goss's most famous calls on the Duquesne Basketball network. His seat at the Duquesne Scorers Table was left vacant with a bouquet of flowers.

April 28, 2026: Goss died at age 89.
1986: Goss co-founded WIRD, which later became WCCS.
2023: Goss was inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
November 3, 2026: The tribute ceremony was held before the Duquesne season opener.

Season Trajectory

Goss's induction into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2023 formally recognized a career that the Dukes' 2026 tribute extended into a farewell at the program's season opener. The tribute places his long run calling Duquesne basketball within the regional broadcasting history he helped build at WDAD and WIRD.

Pittsburgh-area basketball fans who followed Goss's calls can attend Duquesne games and see how the program marks his legacy going forward. The tribute offers local listeners a reminder of the radio history tied to the city's stations.

The takeaway

Community tributes can preserve the voices that defined local sports for generations. Listeners who grew up with a broadcaster's calls often find these ceremonies a meaningful way to honor a shared memory.