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If you’ve ever listened to a Ģ������Ƶ athletics broadcast, there’s a likely chance you’ve heard the preceding words as the game begins. It’s Gary Ayer’s iconic introduction, a welcoming preamble for fans everywhere. For nearly 40 years, Ayers has been courtside or in the press box for most every basketball or football game. His iconic voice has echoed across the radio waves of Western North Carolina and beyond with detailed descriptions of every slam dunk or touchdown. And, his storied career carries some incredible memories.

“Gary Ayers has provided the soundtrack and given a voice to Western Carolina Athletics for thousands of Catamount fans during his illustrious, hall of fame broadcast career,” said Daniel Hooker ’01, associate athletics director for media relations. “His voice is synonymous with the story of Catamount Athletics. He is as good of a game caller and storyteller in the business, all encapsulated in a tremendous voice. Catamount Nation has been extremely lucky to have Gary Ayers as a loyal and trusted voice for nearly four decades and I feel fortunate to call him a friend.” Ayers’ first Ģ������Ƶgame was in 1985 at Davidson College, the football season opener.

It was brutally hot that day. Keeping with the dress of the day, he donned a sweat-filled coat and tie. “We were in this open-air press box where you would slide open a plywood window,” he said. “I’ll never forget it that day. It was so hot that one of the officials passed out. They had to take him off in an ambulance.” Apart from the heat, Ayer’s first broadcast with the Catamount Sports Network went off without a hitch. “I didn’t sleep much the night before my first game. It was a little nerve wracking. It was up to me to get the broadcast on the air. I was running the board, playing the ads. We used telephone lines back then,” he said. Ayers said that Steve White, WCU’s longtime sports information director, helped him navigate the nerves. “Gary was a young, local guy from Swain County. He was full of enthusiasm, knew our program, called games without an ego and knew what listeners wanted,” White said. After his first football season, Ayers, thankfully, moved his broadcasts out of the heat and indoors for basketball season. This time, the season opener was at NC State University. As a young and aspiring sports journalist and broadcaster, he was determined to interview NC State’s legendary coach Jim Valvano.

Securing the interview, however, would require some ingenuity. “I was walking around before the game and I found a door that said absolutely no media or fans. Well, I went through the door. I hid behind some stairs. As the team and coach Valvano came out of the locker room, I jumped out from behind the stairs,” Ayers said. “I kinda surprised him, scared him. But he was very accommodating. He said no one has ever used that approach before.” His innovative approach with coach Valvano would pay off later, too. Ģ������Ƶopened the next football season at NC State. “I saw him in the press box,” Ayers said. “I guess I left an impression because he immediately remembered me. He agreed to be my halftime show guest. It was a great show.

In Ayer’s second year, Ģ������Ƶopened the basketball season in the newly built Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Their opponent? No other than coach Valvano’s Wolfpack. He gave Ayer’s a live interview right before tipoff. “It was phenomenal to see Ramsey packed on that first night,” Ayers said. “You could just feel the energy. That night was a memory that I will carry forever. There were people everywhere. I think the fire marshal was nervous about how many people were there.” Jeff Bryson started working alongside Ayers on the Catamount Sports Network in 1995 and the two have worked together in some capacity for Ģ������Ƶbasketball and football every year since. “One year after we started working together, we were able to broadcast together on the only SoCon championship for the men's basketball team in ’96, and it has been a thrill to work alongside him for almost 30 years broadcasting Catamount athletics,” Bryson said. With their conference championship, the 1996 team received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but Ģ������Ƶhad to face No. 1 seed Purdue. “There were two shots that didn’t fall. Two shots,” Ayers said. “We were so close to beating the No. 1 seed. We would have been the first 16 seed to beat a No. 1.” Ayers said he has seen some great teams in the past, but the present is just as exciting. “This last football season had sparks of promise,” he said. “We were ranked in the preseason FCS top 25. We beat Chattanooga last year. Coach Bell has brought back our playoff possibilities.

When you see that energy come back – that bleeds into what we do on the air. That really gets the adrenaline going.” It's not always sunny in the Cullowhee Valley. There have been lean years, Ayers said, and that the challenge as a broadcaster is to stay positive, even on a cloudy day. “Sports seasons are like rollercoasters: you hit your highs and you hit your lows,” Ayers said. “It’s tough when you’re halfway through the season and you realize we have no shot at the playoffs. And, I’ll be honest, there have been some tough years.” Bryson said that what makes Ayers such a talented broadcaster is that he tells it like is during those times. “He isn't afraid to offer a strong critique of the Catamounts when needed, but he also knows how to do it with class,” Bryson said. “For my money, there is nothing that can match a Gary Ayers call on a Catamount touchdown or dunk.

There is no doubt that he has the talent to work at a Power Five conference school, but he doesn't need to. He has everything he needs and is loved right here at WCU. Gary is the epitome of dedication.” Whether the Catamounts win or lose, Ayers said the true value of his career comes from cultivating meaningful relationships. One of those longtime friends is Mike Taylor, WCU’s athletic equipment manager and former broadcaster. “The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Gary Ayers: tirelessly positive,” said Taylor, “Gary always has a smile on his face and is usually on his way, somewhere, to attack the day. Gary is the voice of Catamounts, quite simply a Western Carolina institution and I’m glad we’re friends.” After decades of broadcasting, a long time since that first game in the sweltering heat, Ayers said he still feels a little bit of nerves before each time he goes on air. “If you don’t have a little tension, you probably need to hang it up and do something else,” Ayers said.