Hundreds of games, thousands of shots made and millions of smiles – UFV Cascades basketball broadcaster Aaron Levy has been behind the mic since 2010 and has called some of the most memorable moments in the program’s history.
But he’s never had the opportunity to call a Canada West championship – until this Sunday (Feb. 25).
Levy will get to display his knowledge, energy and love of the game for all to see and hear at the 2024 CW women’s basketball championships, which run inside the UFV Athletic Centre from Feb. 21 to 25.
Over the years he has established himself as one of the longest-running and beloved voices in university sports, but all that passion initially began playing classic ’90s sports video games like NBA Jam or Ken Griffey Jr. MLB while growing up in Toronto.
“I had the sound off and was always doing my own play-by-play,” he recalled. “So it was ‘Pippen to Rodman, it’s good for two’. That’s how I spent my childhood. I guess for a lot of play-by-play guys the difficult part is trying to sound like you know what you’re talking about without reaching too far and making it sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
When the Toronto Raptors arrived in 1995 it changed Levy’s life. He became a hardcore fan and dove into the extensive and popular sports radio scene of that era. He’d listen as much as he could and even call in to participate in trivia contests.
Levy went on to attend and graduate from the University of Guelph and entered the radio broadcast program at Conestoga College to pursue his radio dreams. He went on to secure a job calling basketball for the Guelph Gryphons until the opportunity at UFV came about a few years later.
He accepted the position as station manager for UFV’s campus radio station CIVL 101.7 FM – a position he continues to hold to this day. But back in 2010 when he arrived, the station was an Internet-only shell of what it has developed into.
#ICYMI https://t.co/dfCM5rknLd
— CIVL Radio (@CIVL_Radio) November 17, 2022
“A month after I joined we implemented on 101.7 and everything was changing at the school,” he said. “That was also the first semester as UFV and not UCFV. I just kind of popped in the middle of a new beginning and that included the athletics department – who had just lost their play-by-play guy.”
Levy pounced on that opportunity and suddenly UFV basketball could be heard on the radio and eventually was livestreamed like it is today on Canada West TV.
One of the more impressive aspects of Levy’s run as the voice of Cascades basketball was his consecutive games streak. He called close to 300 straight games without missing a single dribble. But that streak ended in Jan. 2023 when he missed two games to attend his mother’s funeral.
“I call myself the ironman of Canadian university sports broadcasters,” he said, chuckling. “There have been others who have done it longer than me, but I don’t think anyone has ever had a streak like that before.”
Steve Tuckwood, the director of athletics and campus recreation at UFV, stated that Levy will excel in his role at the tournament.
“Aaron has been the voice of the Cascades for so many great years now,” he said. “He has rightfully earned the opportunity to call a Canada West Championship and I am thrilled he will get to do it on Sunday, especially on CBC.ca.”
RELATED: Canada West women’s basketball championships come to Abbotsford
Levy said the CW championship tournament will be his opportunity to show off his knowledge and passion.
“It was jubilation when I found out we were hosting,” he said. “I think I have the knowledge of teams outside of UFV and with my partner Andrew Savory - I think we have more knowledge than you can find on a CW broadcast. It’s going to be really exciting and I feel like this opportunity is vindication of all the time I’ve put in.”
He said he hopes this year’s team can achieve the success of the 2013 and 2014 women’s basketball teams, the latter which earned a national bronze medal. Levy said broadcasting those teams were a highlight of his career. He noted that the Wierks sisters (Sarah and Nicole) were some of the best to ever wear Cascades colours.
Levy’s personal starting five over his tenure covering the women’s team includes: the Wierks, Aieisha Luyken, Kayli Sartori and current Cascades guard Maddy Gobeil.
He said he hopes the Cascades can go all the way, but it won’t be easy. Despite the women’s 17-3 record and a first-round bye, top teams like the Regina Cougars and Saskatchewan Huskies will be a challenge to defeat.
RELATED: UFV Cascades women’s basketball finishes third in Canada West; men await their fate
Levy said he loves what he does at UFV and wants to keep calling games for as long as possible.
“I’m grateful to everyone at the UFV athletics department that has contributed so much and who has supported me and allowed me to do this,” he said. “I also appreciate all the game staff who do so much to make our broadcast run smoothly.”
The tournament features the 12 best teams in Canada West and runs from Wednesday to Sunday at the UFV Athletic Centre. For more visit, gocascades.ca.
The host @UFVCascades will look to make noise on their home floor, but can anyone knock off top seeded @HuskieWBB after their 19-1 regular season? 🤔
— Canada West (@CanadaWest) February 21, 2024
Read our WBB Championship preview before the action tips-off Wednesday afternoon in Abbotsford ⬇️https://t.co/qpw380Z6VZ