The Vol Network announced Thursday afternoon their broadcast crew for the upcoming 2025-26 basketball season.
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith will be joined by John Wilkerson, Chris Lofton and Steve Hamer throughout the season. Wilkerson will work as both a fill-in play-by-play voice and a color analyst, while Lofton and Hamer will also be part of a color commentator rotation.
"We're excited to bring together an incredible team for Tennessee basketball this season," Brandon Parks, the Vice President and General Manager of the Vol Network, said in a UT press release. "Mike Keith, John Wilkerson, Chris Lofton and Steve Hamer each bring unique perspective, energy, and passion for the game. Together, they'll deliver an insightful and energetic broadcast experience for Vol fans everywhere."
Keith is in the midst of his first full season as the play-by-play man of the Tennessee football team. He spent the previous 26 seasons as the voice of the Tennessee Titans.
This will be the first season in 26 years that Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp are not calling Tennessee basketball games. Both retired at the conclusion of last season.
"We look forward to hearing this new Vol Network crew on the air calling another great season of Tennessee basketball," Alicia Longworth, Tennessee's Deputy Athletics Director/Chief Marketing Officer, said. "All four members of the broadcast team are well-known to Vol Nation and bring significant credentials to the position. We have no doubt Mike Keith, John Wilkerson, Chris Lofton and Steve Hamer will carry on the rich tradition of stellar Vol Network basketball broadcasts and that fans will love listening to their calls."
Lofton, who starred for the Vols from 2004-08, was an Associated Press All-American as sophomore, junior and senior. He was the 2007 SEC Player of the Year and scored 2,131 career points in a Tennessee uniform, which remains fourth most in program history.
He made more than 100 3-pointers in each of his final three seasons at Tennessee and remains the UT and SEC record holder with 431 made. When his career at Tennessee ended, he was third in NCAA Division history with 3-pointers made.
Wilkerson has been the voice of Tennessee baseball for the past 27 years. He will handle play-by-play duties for games Keith cannot make due to football conflicts, in addition to working alongside him as a color analyst for most of the season. Wilkerson has been the Vol Network's basketball studio and scoreboard host for the past 29 seasons.
Hamer has contributed as a color analyst on the Vol Network since 2015. He has also worked as a television color analyst for Tennessee basketball games since 1999. Hamer was a two-time All-SEC honoree for the Vols from 1992-96. He scored 1,418 points and grabbed 750 rebounds.