Tony Caridi Named 2026 Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award Winner
For three decades, Tony Caridi has been the unmistakable voice behind some of the most unforgettable moments in West Virginia University sports. Now, the longtime play-by-play announcer is being recognized on a national stage. Caridi has been named the 2026 recipient of the prestigious Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award.
The honor, voted on by a panel of respected sportscasters and media professionals-including several past recipients-will be officially presented at the 66th NSMA Awards Banquet on June 29 at the Grandover Resort & Spa in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Caridi’s voice has been part of the heartbeat of WVU athletics since 1997, when he was named the lead play-by-play announcer for Mountaineer football and men’s basketball. But his journey with the program started well before that.
After arriving in Morgantown in 1984 as a news reporter for WAJR-AM, Caridi quickly found his footing in sports broadcasting. By 1987, he was on the call for Mountaineer football alongside the late Tom Mees, a partnership that opened the door to television assignments with the Mountaineer Sports Network, the Atlantic 10 Television Network, and ESPN.
In 1992, Caridi added national experience to his résumé as a play-by-play voice for the Mutual Radio Network’s College Football Game of the Week, but it’s his work with WVU that’s defined his career.
If you’ve followed Mountaineer sports over the past few decades, chances are you’ve heard Caridi call some of the program’s biggest wins-like the 2006 Sugar Bowl triumph over Georgia, the 2008 Fiesta Bowl stunner against Oklahoma, and the 2012 Orange Bowl rout of Clemson. On the hardwood, his voice captured the magic of West Virginia’s 2005 NCAA Tournament double-overtime win over No. 2 seed Wake Forest and the unforgettable Elite Eight victory over Kentucky that sent the Mountaineers to the Final Four.
And of course, there's the signature line Mountaineer fans know by heart: “It’s a great night to be a Mountaineer, wherever you may be!”-a phrase Caridi first coined during that 2005 basketball season, and one that's become synonymous with West Virginia pride.
Beyond the press box, Caridi has made a lasting impact on his community and his industry. A graduate of Syracuse University, he co-founded Pikewood Creative in 2002, a Morgantown-based video production company that’s earned multiple Emmy Awards. He’s also a published children’s author, with two books inspired by his volunteer work with Monongalia County’s Read Aloud program.
Caridi’s accolades include being named West Virginia Broadcaster of the Year and inductions into both the West Virginia Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2022) and Syracuse University’s WAER Hall of Fame (2023). His career has been marked not just by longevity, but by a deep connection to the university, the state, and the next generation of broadcasters.
The Woody Durham Award, created in 2018 and named after the legendary North Carolina broadcaster, honors college play-by-play voices who exemplify preparation, school affiliation, tenure, community involvement, mentorship, and character. Caridi joins an elite list of recipients, including Ray Goss (2025), Mike Reis (2024), and Don Fischer (2018), among others.
Caridi and his wife, Joan, reside in Morgantown, where they’ve raised three sons-Michael, Andrew, and Matthew-and are now proud grandparents to Luca and Noah.
For Mountaineer fans, Tony Caridi has long been the voice that brought the highs and lows of WVU sports to life. With this award, the rest of the college sports world gets to tip its cap to a broadcaster who’s done it the right way-season after season, call after call.