From the office to the stadium mic

The sun sets behind the Flatirons as fans pour into Folsom Field on a crisp autumn Saturday in Boulder. The stands rumble with anticipation, black and gold filling every row. Then it happens — a familiar voice booms over the speakers.

“Here comes Ralphie! … And your Colorado Buffaloes!”

The crowd erupts. Cheers echo off the stadium walls and phones rise into the air as the tradition that generations of fans grew up with comes alive. High above the field, sitting behind a microphone, Jimmy Luthye takes a deep breath and prepares to guide 50,000 fans through another Buffs football game.

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“I get to introduce the greatest tradition in college sports,” Luthye said. “It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to be part of something that means so much to so many people.”

By day, Luthye works on Denver Water’s communications team, helping tell the utility’s story to the 1.5 million people Denver Water serves. Off the clock, his voice is part of the soundtrack of Colorado sports.

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In his free time, Luthye is a public address announcer for a wide range of local teams and venues, including CU football and men’s basketball, and the Colorado Eagles — the American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. It’s a role that combines adrenaline, enthusiasm and showmanship — and one deeply rooted in family and a lifelong love of sports.

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Luthye grew up surrounded by media. His parents both worked for decades behind the scenes at KWGN Channel 2 in Denver — his mother as a live newscast director and his father as an engineering technician and master control operator. He saw behind the curtain from a young age, and of course, sports were always on, and always part of his family’s conversations.

“I’ve been told I became a sports fan around age 3 — I can’t verify that, but I’ve certainly loved sports for as long as I can remember,” Luthye said. “Baseball, basketball, football, hockey, on TV, radio or in person, I’ve always loved it all.”

Trips to Rockies games as a child left a particular impression. Luthye remembers hearing longtime announcer Alan Roach’s voice boom over the Coors Field speakers. 

“My dad would point out the way Roach announced everything from a national anthem introduction to player names as they stepped to the plate,” Luthye recalled. “Even as a little kid, I could appreciate how important he made the game feel. And it was always fun to try to imitate him as he said, ‘Now batting, right fielder, number 33, Larrrry WALK-----errrrrr!”

(Cue ‘Crazy Train’ by Ozzy Osbourne.)

Luthye knew he wanted to be part of the game, even if playing wasn’t in his cards.

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“I knew my athletic career would end at Little League,” he said. “But I still wanted to be there somehow, and this seemed like a particularly fun way to do it.”

Luthye was shy in school, with a particular fear of — oddly enough — public speaking. 

Then, when he was 16, his father passed away — a loss that changed everything.

“My dad always wanted to announce sports but never had the opportunity,” Luthye said. “I decided to give this everything I had — for me and for him.”

When Luthye was a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, he decided to push himself out of his comfort zone. He didn’t have a plan, just a desire to try.

The timing eventually worked in his favor. In 2011, at the end of his junior year, CU’s longtime football and men’s basketball announcer, Alan Cass, retired. Cass — also known for his work with the Denver Broncos, including starting the indelible “IN-COM-PLETE” chant — was a giant in the announcing world.

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“Alan was an icon, and I wish I had the chance to meet him,” Luthye said. “When he retired, CU started looking for new announcers to fill the void. I submitted an audition tape having never done anything like it before, and I got a call to come in and shadow, with the hope of getting a chance to announce soccer.”

Luthye started shadowing and soon became the full-time announcer for CU soccer, volleyball and lacrosse.

A major step came in 2016, when the University of Denver’s hockey team needed a new announcer. Luthye auditioned and landed the role, going on to announce seven seasons of hockey for the Pioneers.

“DU hockey opened a lot of doors,” he said. “I loved that job and owe them a great deal.”

He never left CU behind, moving to men’s basketball in 2019 and adding football in 2022. He has since moved from DU hockey to the Eagles, and in recent years has announced games as a fill-in for the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos and Colorado Rapids.

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“The PA announcing world is very small,” Luthye says. “Whether you're hearing Roach at an Avs game, Conor McGahey at a Broncos game, Reed Saunders at a Rockies game or Kyle Speller at a Nuggets game, no matter where you go in Colorado, you're going to hear one of the best PA announcers in the world. It’s been an absolute thrill to learn from them along the way.”

Today, Luthye announces 60 to 70 events per year.

The job comes with challenges: long nights, weekends, difficult pronunciations and the discipline required to stay focused amid chaos. Sitting rink side or courtside, with players, coaches, referees and fans all fired up at once, there’s no room for distraction.

“I care about the results of the game, and I obviously want us to win,” he said. “But I have to stay — or at least act — calm and professional. My job is to inform fans and help enhance their experience however I can. Losing focus isn’t an option.”

What keeps him coming back is the connection — to the game, to the fans and to the energy of live sports.

“I love being part of the team the helps create an electric atmosphere and a strong hometown advantage,” Luthye said. “There’s nothing quite like it and I plan on doing this for as long as I can.”

That sense of fulfillment is something Luthye credits in part to his career at Denver Water.

“I work for people who care about each other,” he said. “This organization encourages you to grow professionally while supporting the pursuit of passions outside of work. It’s the best of both worlds.”

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Announcing was never meant to be his full-time career, but it has become a huge part of his life. Denver Water helps make it possible.

“My colleagues have always been so supportive,” Luthye said. “We work together to make sure everyone has the coverage they need at work to maintain the flexibility to do what they love outside of work. It is truly a special place to work.”

Before every game, Luthye holds onto one simple perspective.

“I'll never take for granted how lucky I am," he said. "I’m tremendously grateful every time I get to sit behind a microphone in the best seat in the house."

So, the next time you find yourself at the foot of the Flatirons, watching Ralphie continue her decades-long tradition with an adrenaline-filled charge around Folsom Field, you can rest assured the guy yelling in the background is having the time of his life.