WVU Athletics
WVU’s Tony Caridi Named 2026 Voice of College Sports Award Winner
Longtime WVU play-by-play Tony Caridi has been voted the 2026 Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award winner, as announced on Tuesday by the NSMA (National Sports Media Association).
A blue-ribbon panel of play-by-play sportscasters, including several past winners of the Award, as well as other sports media representatives, took part in the balloting. The Durham Award will be presented during the 66th NSMA Awards Banquet on June 29 at Grandover Resort & Spa — a Wyndham Grand hotel — in Greensboro, N.C.
Caridi has provided the soundtrack to many of the greatest moments in Mountaineer sports history.
Caridi has described West Virginia University football and men’s basketball since 1996, though his WVU career began in 1984 when he arrived in Morgantown as an afternoon news reporter for WAJR-AM. With the creation of the MetroNews Radio Network, Caridi was promoted to sports director and became host of the popular statewide program Sportsline.
Caridi’s first role with the Mountaineer Sports Network came in 1987, when he teamed with the late Tom Mees on football broadcasts. That partnershipeventually led to television assignments covering college basketball on the Mountaineer Sports Network, the Atlantic 10 Television Network, and ESPN.
In 1992, Caridi joined the Mutual Radio Network as an announcer for its College Football Game of the Week.
He was named the lead play-by-play voice of West Virginia University in 1997 and has since called many of the program’s most iconic victories, including wins over Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, and Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl.
Caridi’s memorable basketball calls include West Virginia’s victory over Kentucky to clinch a Final Four berth and a double-overtime win against No. 2-seeded Wake Forest in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
During the 2005 season, Caridi coined his popular catchphrase, “It’s a great night to be a Mountaineer, wherever you may be!”
His current radio work includes serving as lead announcer of the Mountaineer Sports Network.
A Syracuse University graduate, Caridi became a founding member of Pikewood Creative in 2002, an Emmy Award–winning video productioncompany based in Morgantown.
A past recipient of the West Virginia Broadcaster of the Year award, Caridi was inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2022 andSyracuse University’s WAER Hall of Fame in 2023.
Caridi has authored two children’s books: Where, Oh Where, Oh Where Could We Go? Traveling West Virginia High and Low and Watch Where You Put Your Feet, inspired by his volunteer work with Monongalia County’s Read Aloud program.
A native of Lockport, New York, Caridi and his wife, Joan, have three sons—Michael, Andrew, and Matthew—and two grandchildren, Luca and Noah.They reside in Morgantown.
About the Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award
Created in 2018, the Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award recognizes professional college broadcasters who fit the following criteria:
- preparation;
- association with his/her school;
- tenure at their school;
- efforts in the community;
- mentorship of young broadcasters;
- and character.
The award is named for the legendary, 40-year radio play-by-play announcer for the University of North Carolina, and is sponsored by Learfield and the University of North Carolina athletics department.
Past winners:
2025 – Ray Goss – Duquesne
2024 – Mike Reis – Southern Illinois
2023 – Rich Chvotkin –Georgetown
2022 – Joe Starkey – California
2021 – Gene Deckerhoff – Florid State
2020 – Johnny Holliday – Maryland
2019 – Bill Hillgrove – Pittsburgh
2018 – Don Fischer – Indiana
Most of this story is from a press release sent to Mike Asti of WV Sports Now.
