Tony Simeone, a 10-year veteran broadcaster with experience both on the microphone and in the production studio, has been selected as the new ‘Voice of Notre Dame Men’s Basketball’ and will assume his duties as the Irish play-by-play broadcaster when the exhibition season begins on Friday, October 29, 2021, against Nazareth College.
“I could not be more excited for the opportunity to serve as the play-by-play voice for Notre Dame Men’s Basketball,” Simeone said.
“Notre Dame has provided me some incredible opportunities over the past five-plus years, but none as monumental as this. It has been a lifelong dream to be the lead broadcaster for a college basketball team and I can’t wait to get to work. Coach Brey is one of the best coaches in America, and I am eager to cover him as well as his players and staff as they go through the best conference in college basketball.”
A 2011 Pepperdine graduate, Simeone has honed his broadcast abilities during his undergraduate years, in the Northwoods League (collegiate summer baseball league), at Harvard (men’s and women’s basketball, hockey) and most recently served as the play-by-play voice for college hockey on the NBCSports Network.
Simeone (pronounced sim-ee-oh-nee) is adept both in front of the camera, on the radio microphone and in the production booth. He produced, filmed and edited original content for Harvard athletics from 2014-16, then was hired by Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish Media in August of 2016 to direct and produce live events for ESPN3, the ACC Network and WatchND.tv.
While he helped develop Fighting Irish Media’s award winning live broadcasts, the call to the broadcast booth continued for the Seattle, Washington, native. Television play-by-play appearances on the ACC Network for men’s basketball, women’s soccer and hockey – along with a full season as the Notre Dame women’s basketball play-by-play talent in 2020-21 – motivated him to pursue a career in broadcasting full time.
“Over the past three seasons, Tony has become a regular presence on NBC Sports coverage of Notre Dame hockey,” NBC Sports Coordinating Producer Mark Bellotti said.
“He is an up and coming play-by-play announcer. His high energy style is a great match for the speed and intensity on the ice and the basketball court.”
Simeone takes over the microphone from Jack Nolan, who retired at the end of the 2020-21 season and was a member of the Notre Dame men’s basketball broadcast team for 39 years, including the last 15 as the play-by-play voice.
“As a co-worker for the last five years, I saw first hand the immeasurable impact that Jack Nolan had on this athletic department and it was felt most deeply and passionately with the men’s basketball team,” Simeone said.
“I also learned a great deal from him about how to be a broadcast professional and prepare for the job with an unrelenting work ethic. Nobody can replace Jack, but I will certainly do my best to follow the path he paved.”
Simeone (you can follow him on Twitter at @TonySimeonePxP) debuted this football season as the studio host for the Notre Dame Football Radio Network, anchoring the broadcast with play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister and analyst Ryan Harris. He also will serve as the host of The Mike Brey Radio Show and Inside Notre Dame Basketball.
All of Notre Dame’s 2021-22 games will be broadcast live locally at WSBT-AM 960 or FM 96.1 and worldwide on und.com.
We all know @PaulWBurmeister, @salaams_from_68, & @TonySimeonePxP have spectacular voices, but they are also the most prepared, energetic, & professional broadcasters in the industry. No one knows @NDFootball better than Paul, Ryan, & Tony. We are lucky to have them! pic.twitter.com/x7ThhdEIbO
— The Notre Dame Radio Network (@NotreDameRadio) October 14, 2021