Syracuse, N.Y. —Veteran ESPN play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough has been named the 2025 National Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
McDonough, one of the most prominent sports broadcasting alums of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, takes home the award for the first time.
He’s the second consecutive SU alum to win the award with Ian Eagle earning it last year.
McDonough, 63, was surprised with the news by his ESPN college football partner Greg McElroy.
“I’ve joked I’ve been the Susan Lucci of that award,” McDonough said, referencing the soap opera actress who was nominated 18 consecutive times for a Daytime Emmy before finally winning in 1999.
McDonough has established himself as one of the most versatile and accomplished sports broadcasters for over three decades since graduating from Syracuse in 1984.
McDonough has covered the World Series, NCAA Final Four, the Olympic Games, Monday Night Football and all four major golf championships, among other marquee events during his accomplished career.
He’s currently one of the lead voices for college football on ESPN and ABC and lead NHL play-by-play voice for ESPN.
For many years, McDonough, Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery called Big Monday BIG EAST games for ESPN. Their work included the historic six-overtime Syracuse-UConn Big East Tournament game at Madison Square Garden in 2009.
McDonough worked under former Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson in the Syracuse football office when he was a student in the early ’80s.
McDonough has shared the story of how Coach Mac helped fund his college education and set him up for a successful professional career.
“Friends, it’s not an overstatement to say to you that Coach’s intervention completely changed my life,” McDonough said at MacPherson’s funeral in 2017. “It saved the arc and the path of my life. He truly changed my life, saved my life and continued to influence my life.”
By the time he turned 19, he became the voice of the Syracuse Chiefs while still at SU, a job that would help him later become the voice of the Boston Red Sox.
McDonough was the television play-by-play announcer for the Red Sox from 1988-2004, during which time he was honored four times with the New England Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Play-by-Play. In 2019, he rejoined the Red Sox as a member of their radio broadcast team.
In 2014, McDonough was named to the Hall of Fame for WAER, Syracuse University’s noncommercial radio station where he began his sports broadcasting career as a student.
McDonough was honored in July 2016 with the Marty Glickman Award, which is presented annually to a Newhouse alum.
“The Marty” recognizes excellence in the field of sports media.
In 2019, he received the George Arents Award, the highest alumni honor bestowed by Syracuse University.
In 2021, McDonough was selected for induction into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
McDonough recently returned for a panel discussion with fellow SU broadcasting legends Marv Albert, Bob Costas and Eagle.
McDonough encouraged the audience full of broadcasting students to believe in themselves.
“If you’re talented, it will be recognized,” he said.
Veteran ESPN play-by-play announcer, Syracuse alum named Sportscaster of the Year
