A change is taking place at ESPN. Longtime announcer Mark Jones will exit the network after more than three decades.
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The Athletic' Andrew Marchand broke the news after speaking with sources briefed on the matter. According to Marchand, Jones is not expected to retire after his exit from ESPN. However, his next move remains unclear at the moment.
ESPN did not confirm the split, but the network released a statement on Friday thanking Jones for the work that he has done over the years.
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"Mark has made an enduring impact at ESPN since 1990, serving as a signature voice primarily within our NBA and college football coverage and across nearly all of our platforms," ESPN said in a statement.
"We're grateful for Mark's countless contributions and we wish him continued success."
A native of Toronto, Jones spent his college years playing basketball for York University. This experience likely helped as he made the move into sports broadcasting.
He first began working for TSN in Canada after graduating in 1985. He remained with the network through 1990 while working as an anchor.
Jones moved to ESPN and began quickly contributing to the network's basketball coverage. He hosted the NBA Today, and he did play-by-play while working multiple analysts. This group includes Hall of Fame Bill Walton.
The sportscaster also contributed to studio shows focused on the Finals, Draft Lottery, and All-Star game. He also did play-by-play for college football games.
The past six years have featured Jones branching out. He has been the voice of the Sacramento Kings, a role that he specifically highlighted while discussing his post-ESPN plans.
"It's been great for me growth-wise, professionally as a play-by-play guy, but even more so personally," Jones told Sactown Sports 1140AM. "Sacramento (allowed me) to feel that there is life beyond ESPN."
Jones added during this conversation with the radio station that he hopes he is able to work something out to remain in Sacramento for "a while to come."
