Ohio State Football: Tom Snyder named as the new voice of Ohio Stadium

If you get the opportunity to attend the Ohio State football team’s home opener later this week, it’s going to sound a little different. Earlier this year, longtime public address announcer Bob Kennedy passed away after serving in the role for 20 seasons, leaving Athletic Director Gene Smith and his staff with the task of trying to fill Kennedy’s spot at Ohio Stadium for home Buckeye football games.

Like I stated in a previous article, a PA announcer is a thankless position. Most people don’t really recognize the individual who is calling the game from a booth for those who are in attendance until they attend a game with a bad announcer. Then it sticks out like a sore thumb.  It’s very similar to bad officiating. If they are doing their job properly, they go unnoticed, but as soon as they miss a bad call, everyone can see their mistake.

Ohio State announced last week that Tom Snyder was chosen to be the voice at The Shoe this season and moving forward. Snyder, a resident of Columbus, Ohio, was chosen from an application pool of over 100 individuals. Seven were selected to try out at Ohio Stadium with Snyder receiving the nod.

Just like the former PA announcer, Snyder is also a graduate of Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio where he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2005 with a focus in broadcast journalism. He has experience in PA announcing with previous stops at Long Beach State, UCLA, and most recently, at St. Francis DeSales High School where he also served as the director of digital communications.

The Ohio State football team will play its home opener this weekend against Youngstown State. That will be the first time fans get to hear Snyder’s voice. I bet he’s nervous!