RIO GRANDE VALLEY – For the last 11 years, Bryan Smith has donned a vest and a headset to broadcast athletic events for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), primarily serving as the color commentator for Vaqueros volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Now, he will be stepping into the primary play-by-play role to anchor UTRGV's broadcast talent for the aforementioned sports and baseball. 
 
Smith takes over for Jonah Goldberg, his main broadcast partner since 2015 who recently departed UTRGV for other professional opportunities after 16 seasons as the play-by-play announcer. Smith and Goldberg began working together on broadcasts of soccer and volleyball. Smith served as a backup announcer for basketball and baseball for two seasons before taking over the regular color commentator role for basketball in 2017-18. He also became a regular contributor for two baseball seasons as part of a three-man booth with Danny Elizondo before returning to a backup role.
 
Elizondo, who recently departed UTRGV in a full-time capacity after 18 seasons, will continue to work select baseball broadcasts.
 
Smith and Goldberg were the broadcast team for the 2021 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the 2023 WAC Volleyball Tournament.
 
"We are excited to elevate Bryan into this new role and have him take the lead as our top broadcaster," UTRGV Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "Bryan is consistently well-prepared and entertaining on the air and his historical knowledge of our athletic department in strong. There is no one better prepared to step into this role and I know our fans tuning in to this year's broadcasts will appreciate and enjoy following the Vaqueros with Bryan on the call." 
 
Smith comes into his elevated role with additional experience performing both play-by-play and color commentary for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G-League, including serving as the play-by-play voice of a nationally televised game on Amazon Prime, and the RGV FC Toros, formerly of the USL. He filled-in as the play-by-play announcer for UTRGV in a variety of sports. 
 
When he's not broadcasting for the Vaqueros, Smith serves as a program manager for the UTRGV Office of Faculty Affairs. He has been working at the university in various capacities since Aug. 2007. This includes lecturing in the communication department since 2020, with classes including introduction to mass communications, introduction to communication, and public speaking. 
 
"Stepping into this expanded role with UTRGV Athletics is an incredible privilege and one that I don't take lightly," Smith said. "UTRGV has given me so much over nearly 20 years, from opportunities to grow professionally and personally to the chance to build relationships and be part of something bigger than myself. To now have the opportunity to tell the stories of these student-athletes and represent this university in an even greater capacity is incredibly meaningful.
 
"I'm grateful for the trust Chasse Conque, my friend and predecessor, Jonah Goldberg, and the entire staff at UTRGV Athletics has placed in me, and I'm excited to continue giving back to an institution that has given me so much."

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