Lawrence, Bukaty Start New Roles on Jayhawk Football Radio Network

May 24, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. — David Lawrence will move from the sideline to the radio booth next fall as analyst on radio broadcasts of University of Kansas football games, officials from Kansas Athletics and ESPN Plus have announced. Officials also announced that Nate Bukaty will succeed Lawrence as sideline reporter and host of the “Crimson & Blue Line” football pre-game show.

Nate Bukaty will serve as sideline reporter as David Lawrence (pictured above) moves into the broadcast booth for KU football games.

The moves follow Max Falkenstien’s retirement after 60 years of broadcasting Jayhawk games.

“No one can `replace’ Max,” said KU Athletics Director Lew Perkins, “but in David and Nate we have two experienced professionals who know our program, and who will contribute color and insight into our football broadcasts.”

Lawrence has hosted the “Crimson & Blue Line” show and handled sideline reporting duties on the Jayhawk Radio Network for the past 12 years. A four-year letter winner playing tight end and offensive guard at Kansas, Lawrence was voted team captain, Offensive Player of the Year, and All-Big Eight in 1981. He served as a graduate assistant coach under Kansas head football coaches Don Fambrough and Mike Gottfried. Since 1985 he has been a health teacher at South Junior High School in Lawrence, where he also was head football coach for 17 years.

Lawrence was color analyst on the KU football radio broadcasts in 1982, and was the TV analyst for KU football telecasts on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 from 1988 to 1994. He also has hosted the pre-game “Crimson & Blue Line” and post-game “Jayhawk Locker Room” shows for KU men”s basketball.

Nate Bukaty (pictured above) will serve as sideline reporter as David Lawrence moves into the broadcast booth for KU football games.

A fourth-generation KU alumnus, Bukaty earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1998. He has been the Jayhawk Radio Network play-by-play announcer for KU women’s basketball the past five years, and hosts Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson’s “Hawk Talk” radio call-in show. Bukaty has worked in radio and television in Kansas City for the past seven years, where his current responsibilities include pre-game and post-game coverage of the Kansas City Royals.

“David and Nate are long-time members of the KU family,” said Angela Haar, ESPN Plus General Manager. “David brings to the analyst microphone his experience of being a former player and coach. He is close to the football program and listeners will certainly benefit from his analysis.”

Lawrence and Bukaty will work with play-by-play announcer Bob Davis, who, along with producer-engineer Bob Newton, heads into his 23rd season of KU football and men’s basketball.

Officials said the radio analyst for men’s basketball has not yet been determined.

The Jayhawk Radio Network is operated by ESPN Plus through rights granted by Kansas Athletics.