College football’s opening weekend brought sad news from Corvallis, where longtime Oregon State announcer Darrell Aune died at 83.
Aune spent 29 years calling Oregon State sports, and for generations of Beavers fans, his voice was tied closely to the program. Oregon State announced his death and paid tribute to the broadcaster who helped carry the team to listeners for decades.
“Remembering the Voice of the Beavers for 29 years, Darrell Aune. Our thoughts are with Darrell’s family and the many who knew and loved him,” Oregon State announced.
Aune’s role meant a lot in an era when televised college sports were still limited. For plenty of Oregon State fans, hearing him on the radio was how they followed the Beavers, and for many, those broadcasts became part of childhood.
Fans responded with memories that showed how deeply Aune was woven into the school’s sports identity. One wrote, “During my time at OSU Darrell was as engaged and supportive as one could be…having seen both the best of times and then the pains of recovery and growth he remained energetic, positive and professional bringing OSU sports to the loyal listeners-so grateful for him,” one fan wrote.
Another recalled what Aune meant to Corvallis kids growing up in the 70s and 80s. “For every Corvallis kid from the 70s and 80s, Darrell Aune was the voice of our childhood. If you’re too young to have heard Darrell, this is what loving Oregon State University sounds like,” the fan wrote.
One former Oregon State fan pointed back to a memorable moment after the Beavers upset Washington in Seattle in 1985. “He might have been even happier than the coaches and players.
A special person, and a great friend. I will miss him greatly,” the fan wrote.
Another fan captured the broadcast era Aune came to represent. “As a kid in the 80s, it was very rare for Oregon State to have televised sports and the voice of Darrell Aune was our window to that world,” the fan wrote.
Aune leaves behind a long connection to Oregon State sports and the fans who grew up listening to him.
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Oregon State Mourns The Loss Of A Voice Fans Never Forgot
A familiar voice in Oregon State homes and on radio dials is gone. Darrel Aune, who spent decades as the play-by-play announcer for Beavers football and basketball, has died at 83, prompting a wave of remembrance from the athletic department and from fans who grew up hearing him frame the biggest moments in the programs modern history.
Aunes reach went well beyond a box score or a broadcast booth, and his name became part of the backdrop of Oregon State sports for generations. The tributes have centered on that lasting connection, the kind of legacy that only comes from being present through so many seasons, even as the full scope of how deeply he shaped the Beavers identity is still being felt. [Read more 🡒]
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