Terry Sisisky paused, an unusual moment if you know the high-strung announcer. Reflecting on the 840 basketball games he's called in 28 years at Virginia Commonwealth University made him emotional.

Sisisky is turning off his VCU microphone. The radio voice fans identify simply as the "T-Man" will continue to work in sales at radio station WGGM and pursue his passion -- broadcasting high school games, mostly at alma mater Petersburg High. Sisisky also will be behind the mike for some Randolph-Macon College football games.

"It's absolutely my decision," he said.

Sisisky, 55, said he was set to return to VCU two weeks ago after meeting with VCU Athletic Director Norwood Teague. But he decided to resign after some soul searching.

"I kept thinking, 'Do I want to keep getting on planes and going through airports?'" he said. "I thought I'd be one of those announcers who would stay at a school for 40 years. I've been struggling with it the last few weeks. I don't want to be someone who stays around and accumulates years. If you're doing that, you're doing it for the wrong reason."

Sisisky informed VCU officials of his decision earlier this week. No replacement has been named.

"I've been doing high school and college together for a long time," he said. "Last year, I knew I'd have to give up one or the other. The best thing for me is to continue to do high school sports. . . . People don't understand how attached I am to high school sports."

Sisisky has been covering prep games for 34 years. He soon will launch a Web site, www.terrysisisky.com, that will be devoted to broadcasting high school games.

He has been the voice of the Rams since Nov. 28, 1980, when VCU beat Lafayette 44-40 in the Cavalier Invitational in Charlottesville. His tenure has spanned six coaches, eight NCAA tournament berths and four NIT appearances.

Sisisky missed only three VCU games. He called 567 games before missing his first game to attend a nephew's bar mitzvah in 1999.

Several hours before a game, you usually could find the antsy Sisisky frantically checking and rechecking his broadcast equipment or going over pages of scribbled names that only he could decipher.

He said a writer once noted he could make coffee nervous.

"It was an honor to represent VCU for 28 years," he said. "It is going to be the same [without me]. We're all replaceable."