What is Play By Play University?

Why I created Play By Play University

“Live from Houston, Texas, this is the national championship game.”

I had chills shoot through my body when I stood over NRG Stadium and a buzzing crowd of 72,000 when I said those words into my headset on January 8, 2024.

I’m just a kid from a 46-acre pine tree farm in Centerburg, Ohio, and here I am, representing the University of Washington, broadcasting the biggest event going on in the world at this moment.

While we lost the title game, that whole experience was a dream come true. And now, I want that for you. I would never, ever have gotten to where I am today without all the mentors and lessons that led me here. Much of that wisdom was hard earned and painfully acquired in scattered pieces I had to put together along the way. But now that I’ve got 20 years worth of it, I want to make a difference. I want share it with you. Especially if you come from humble beginnings like I did. If you’ve got the character and the desire to make your dreams become reality, but just need someone to point you in the right direction.

This industry is super competitive, and there are a handful of people who start on 3rd base. But just because you don't doesn't mean you can't make it. For financial reasons, I wasn’t able to attend “the number one broadcast school in the country.” And that’s OK. I went to a really good broadcasting school, loved every second of it and am proud to have graduated with a broadcast journalism degree from Ohio University. But even so, in retrospect, I wouldn’t have majored in broadcasting if I could do it all over again. College is expensive, and I was writing student loan checks every month for the next 15 years. Trust me, they weren’t minimum payments, either. And I’d still be paying them if I hadn’t finally gotten my big break at the UW in 2017.

But listen: it’s not about what you learn. Information is necessary but not sufficient. It’s about how you implement what you learn and who you become as a result of it. I can cut through the B.S. and teach you everything you need to know, and more, for literally less than 0.25% the cost of a single year at “the number one broadcast school in the country.” The rest is up to you.

So, if you’re serious about living your dream, and you really want to give a career in play-by-play broadcasting your absolute best shot, check out my podcast, check out my testimonials, click subscribe, and get ready to go on the adventure of your life.

23 years of play-by-play experience

If you want to learn about having a career in play-by-play, learn from someone who’s been doing it at various levels for over two decades:

• Voice of the Washington Huskies (2017-present)

• Voice of Clemson Tigers men’s basketball (2014-2017)

• IMG Network fill-in play-by-play announcer (2010-2017), doing conference tournaments and championship games, and filling in for schools like Michigan, Ole Miss, East Carolina, Ohio University, etc.

• Pregame, halftime and postgame show host on the Notre Dame football national radio network (2010-2017)

• Radford University women’s basketball play-by-play (2010-11)

• WWWJ-AM Radio, Galax, Virginia: High school play-by-play (2010-11)

• Ohio University women’s basketball play-by-play (2009-10)

• OhioHSFootball.com play-by-play (2009)

• ONN-TV Ohio High School Game of the Week play-by-play (2007-09)

• WATH-AM/WXTQ-FM Radio, Athens, Ohio: High school play-by-play (2003-05)

• WOUB-AM, Athens, Ohio: Ohio University baseball and women’s basketball play-by-play (2001-03)

Testimonials

“Tony is an excellent broadcaster and an excellent resource. His ability to imagine, visualize, execute and teach is a superpower. Thanks to Tony my preparation has gotten more efficient than I could have imagined. He not only understands what a broadcaster needs but what makes a great broadcast, and I consider myself lucky that he has shared with me what he has discovered.”
- Guy Haberman, Big Ten Network

“On the air, Tony blends his knowledge, passion, and vocabulary to bring the excitement to his listeners. Those skills derived from a methodical, yet teachable, approach to each broadcast. Tony is able to communicate and detail that approach like he would a touchdown or a slam dunk. I wouldn't be the broadcaster I am without Tony's advice, guidance, and friendship.”
- Brian Boesch, voice of Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball

“Last season was the most streamlined of my career thanks to Tony's understanding of our craft and how to create and optimize automated spotting boards. His innovative, customized templates enabled me to recoup bandwidth (which had personal and professional benefits) and directly correlated to more efficient preparation and accurate finished products.”
- J.B. Long, voice of the Los Angeles Rams & Pac-12 Networks

“Hey, just wanted to reach out and tell you that the PXPU stuff you’re doing is FANTASTIC.”
- Justin Allegri, voice of the Cal Golden Bears

“This (site) continues to blow my mind.”
- Brad Law, Auburn Tigers Sports Network

“Loving the pod. It’s a great listen and an amazing service to the business no matter if it’s someone like you or me, or someone just starting out.”
- Geoff Arnold, Baltimore Orioles broadcaster

“Seriously, your site has been the best money I have ever spent in my broadcast career.”
- Trevor Williams, ESPN+

Subscription Tiers

FREE Subscribers

• Read public posts and previews of articles behind the paywall, delivered straight to your inbox

• Read any public post off the website that’s been published in the last 14 days

• Free content delivered every Tuesday and Thursday

• Listen to all recent podcast episodes released within the last 30 days

PAID Subscribers ($5.99/month or $60/year)

• Full access to every podcast and AI-generated podcast recaps, delivered straight to your inbox

• Full access to every piece of content available on Play By Play U, including the spotting board automation tutorials.

Office Hours Access ($120/year)

• All monthly benefits, plus…

• Access to monthly group Zoom calls with Tony: a great way to interact in a group setting with Tony and other broadcasters without paying for full-blown, step-by-step career coaching

1 year access + career coaching (contact directly for customized pricing)

• All annual benefits, plus…

• A one-time intake call evaluating where you’re at and where you want to go

• ADDITIONAL 30-minute one-on-one calls per year to prescribe practical steps for improvement and develop a strategy for career progression

• ADDITIONAL questions per year you can ask me via voice memo on any topic related to the industry (if I don’t have a great answer, the question won’t count against your total)

• Job interview coaching: one bonus phone call per year to use specifically to get you ready for a job interview once you land one

• More exclusive benefits that we’ll discuss on our intake call

• Email me to customize a coaching course specifically for you at playbyplayu@gmail.com.

Media coverage

• How did OHIO alumni sportscasters get to the national championship game? (OHIO News, 1/4/24)

• How the ‘Voice of the Huskies’ prepared for an unforgettable call in UW’s win over Oregon (Seattle Times, 10/19/23)

• “Meet Bob Rondeau’s UW Huskies Radio Replacement: Q&A with Tony Castricone” (Seattle Times, 8/28/18)

• “How Tony Castricone is preparing to replace a legend in the Washington broadcast booth” (The Athletic, 8/1/18)