Mike Kennedy Wichita State Credit: Wichita State

Mike Kennedy has been the voice of Wichita State men’s basketball for the past 44 years, a stretch that has seen him call 1,419 consecutive games.

On Thursday night, that streak came to an end, with Kennedy missing the Shockers’ loss to East Carolina after revealing he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Kennedy says that he is two weeks into his treatment and is thus far responding well. While he will also miss Sunday’s game against Charlotte, the 75-year-old said that the current plan is for him to not miss any additional games.

“Over the 44 years that I have been privileged to be the play-by-play broadcaster for Wichita State athletics, I have been part of 1,419 consecutive broadcasts of men’s basketball games without ever missing one, and I have loved every minute of that time, representing the WSU programs and the incredible Shocker fans,” Kennedy wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, tonight it is necessary to step back from that labor of love for a moment. I am receiving treatment for prostate cancer, and in order to maintain the optimum schedule for those treatments, I have decided to remain at home and will miss the games at East Carolina and Charlotte. I am roughly two weeks into treatment and tolerating it well and feel good, and if that continues, it is likely I will not miss any more games.

“I want everyone to know that we were fortunate to identify my situation early enough that, while there are never any guarantees, the prognosis for a positive outcome is good, and I am receiving excellent medical care. I have always been blessed with good health and probably have been a little nonchalant about that, but my wife Debbie has stayed after me about keeping regular doctor’s appointments and it was because of that, that the doctors were able to diagnose the cancer in a timely manner. If there is a message in all of this, I urge all men to get checked regularly.

“To this point, I have only shared my diagnosis with my family and the colleagues I work most closely with, but I felt that missing games for the first time in 44 years probably requires an explanation. The support and encouragement I have received beyond my family, from WSU administrators, coaches and my broadcasting teammates, has been overwhelming and gratifying beyond words. Based on how that has made me feel, I encourage all of you, if you know anyone dealing with cancer or any difficult medical diagnosis, to reach out to them – I can’t tell you how much your words can mean. Thank you to Shocker Nation for your incredible support over these many years, and I look forward to getting back in action next week and beyond.”

https://twitter.com/GoShockersMBB/status/1758265838531149905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1758265838531149905%7Ctwgr%5Ecf6554791af161526af878bcac90ff6a005fa304%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kwch.com%2F2024%2F02%2F15%2Fvoice-shockers-mike-kennedy-miss-first-games-decades-following-cancer-diagnosis%2F

We’re wishing all the best to Kennedy, his family and the Wichita State community as he continues his battle.

[Wichita State Athletics]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.