South Dakota State University Athletics
2013-14 All Girl Cheer Team Roster
Tyler Merriam
- Weight:
- 0
- Position:
- Coordinator of Broadcast Services
- Class:
- Redshirt
- Hometown:
- Pierre, S.D.
Tyler Merriam’s association with South Dakota State athletics dates back to the fall of 2003, and he’s served as the coordinator of broadcast services for the department since August of 2009.
In his role Merriam serves as the lead voice for SDSU athletics and the Jackrabbit Sports Network. He handles radio play-by-play for Jackrabbit football, men’s basketball and baseball while coordinating the on-site production for those events. He also hosts weekly radio shows highlighting the football and basketball programs, and voices a three-minute daily update on the Jacks. All of those productions are heard throughout the seven-state coverage area of the Jackrabbit Sports Network.
His duties also include hosting and producing the Jackrabbit Insider, a 30-minute weekly television show which airs regionally on KELOLAND and MyUTV. It’s the only show produced by a Division I school that runs 52 weeks a year, featuring highlights from today and archival footage from the thousands of hours of film kept in the SDSU video library.
Merriam joined the department as a freshman in 2003, working under Ron Lenz and Jason Hove in the sports information office. During his sophomore year he became the radio voice of Jackrabbit baseball, a position he has held ever since. He also called softball, football and men’s basketball games while an undergraduate.
In 2008 he became the lead play-by-play man for SDSU volleyball and women’s basketball, while also serving as co-sports director of Brookings Radio. The following year he joined the WNAX broadcast crew, where he spent two seasons working alongside Steve Imming on football and men’s basketball games in addition to his women’s basketball and baseball duties.
Merriam was chosen as the 2012 South Dakota Sportscaster of the Year by his peers in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, following in the footsteps of previous SDSU play-by-play voices Norm Hilson and Steve Imming in receiving such an honor.
Born and raised in Pierre, S.D., Merriam graduated from SDSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism. He lives in Brookings with his wife, Jill, and son Joseph.
