Mike Lucas, who has covered Wisconsin athletics for more than 50 years, is retiring

MADISON – Mike Lucas, who covered University of Wisconsin athletics in a variety of formats for more than 50 years, is retiring.

“All great things must come to an end,” Lucas, 72, wrote Thursday on Twitter. “Never thought I’d be writing/broadcasting UW sports for 5+decades.

“Grateful to all players, coaches, fans who made this my labor of love, my 24/7 passion. Once a Badger, always a Badger. Even today. As I step away. Will have more to say later.”

Lucas, a native of Beloit, attended UW in the 1960s and wrote for the Badger Herald and Daily Cardinal. He then worked for The Capital Times for 39 years before taking a job with UW in 2010.

In his role at UW, Lucas wrote for UWBadgers.com and Varsity Magazine.

Lucas served as the radio color commentator alongside play-by-play man Matt Lepay for UW football and men’s basketball since 1994.

He has also served as the color commentator on both radio and television broadcasts for UW men’s hockey from 1976-77 into the early 1990s. Lucas also hosted a daily morning talk show (Lucas in the Morning) on WTSO-AM radio in Madison and a weekly television show (Sidelines) that aired around the state.

UW posted a short thank you note on Twitter.

"We want to thank Mike Lucas for more than 50 years covering Wisconsin Athletics, including the last 29 of which came behind the microphone with Badger football and men’s basketball. His tenure has included helping voice the soundtrack to five Big Ten championships in football, including six Rose Bowls, as well as nine Big Ten championships and three Final Fours in men’s basketball."

Lucas has written five books about UW athletics:

Barry’s Badgers: The Road to the Roses; Five Golden Rings: The Saga of Wisconsin Hockey; The 25 Greatest Moments in Camp Randall History; Don’t Flinch, the Barry Alvarez autobiography; and Another Hill to Climb, the Bo Ryan autobiography.

"I’ve known Luke 35 years & for the last 29 seasons have been lucky to work with him," Lepay wrote on Twitter. "A ton of great moments, big bowl games & deep tournament runs. Not to mention a million laughs & a lifetime of memories. He is a great storyteller & along the way made me a better broadcaster.

"In our corner of the world, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that no one out there will have a run quite like Luke’s. Ever. It’s been a blast, and I am forever grateful. I hope & trust all Badgers fans feel the same way."

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mike Lucas retiring after covering Badgers for more than 50 years