Longtime Iowa Hawkeye sports broadcaster Jim Zabel has died at the age of 91. KCCI-TV in Des Moines reported late Thursday night that Zabel had been in the hospital recently for health problems, but was at home Thursday preparing for his Sunday radio program on WHO, when he died. His wife and WHO Radio General Manager have confirmed Zabel’s passing.
Zabel broadcast Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball games on WHO Radio in Des Moines for 49 years. He was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He was known for his signature call “I love it, I love it, I love it!” whenever the Hawks did well on the field or the court. He retired from play-by-play in 1996 but continued doing regular sports broadcasts on the radio.