Verne Lundquist, one of the most recognizable and beloved sportscasters over the past 50 years, will be the guest of honor and will receive the AutoZone Liberty Bowl’s most prestigious recognition, the Distinguished Citizen Award, on August 24, 2025.
Lundquist will receive the award on Sunday, August 24 at the Hilton Memphis Hotel. A cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the award presentation at 6:30 p.m. A live auction and silent auction will also be held during the evening, with 100% of all proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The 30th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic will be held the following day, Monday, August 25 at TPC Southwind.
“Verne joins a decades-long list of renowned Americans who have distinguished themselves and reached the pinnacle of their chosen field,” said Steve Ehrhart, Executive Director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. “We are proud to include Verne among the nationally known luminaries who have been honored by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl over our 67-year history.”
About Verne Lundquist:
- Nicknamed “The Golden Throat”.
- Lead play-by-play announcer for the “SEC on CBS” from 2000 to 2016.
- Led CBS’s coverage of The Masters on CBS from 1983-2024 - 40 years!
- Called the NCAA Basketball Tournament on CBS for 32 years.
- Lead announcer for Olympic figure skating on CBS at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.
- Inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Won the Sports Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2016.
- Inducted into the Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016.
- Had a cameo appearance in the 1996 hit movie, “Happy Gilmore” and in the sequel, “Happy Gilmore 2”, that will be released in Summer 2025.
About the Distinguished Citizen Award:
As the 7th oldest college football bowl game in America, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl was founded on the principles of freedom, patriotism and liberty. One of the Bowl’s time-honored traditions is the annual presentation of the Distinguished Citizen Award. The award has been presented to a cross section of prominent Americans from a wide range of professions, including military commanders, governors and congressmen, as well as leaders in business, medicine, education, entertainment and sports.
Previous honorees include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital founder Danny Thomas; U.S. Army General Kenneth Tovo; Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Peter Doherty; FedEx founder Fred Smith; AutoZone founder Pitt Hyde; U.S. Navy Admiral William Lawrence; Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson and actress/business entrepreneur Priscilla Presley.
Legends from broadcasting and sports such as Roone Arledge, Lindsey Nelson, Chris Schenkel, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, Tony Dungy, Lee Corso, Darrell Waltrip, Dick Vitale, Archie Manning, Tim McCarver, Peyton Manning, Steve Spurrier and last year’s honoree Joe Theismann have also received the award.
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