John Freeman has found his home in the booth.
The career play-by-play announcer and UVA grad returned to Charlottesville to become the “voice of the Cavaliers” for the men’s football and basketball teams last November. He’d been the primary commentator for several university sports—lacrosse and even some men’s basketball—years ago, but he’d never spoken for the football team.
Before coming back to Charlottesville, Freeman spent five years calling games for Nashville’s pro soccer club. This year will mark his first full season as UVA sports’ top broadcaster. Freeman recently talked to 434 about the move and what’s next.
434: How did you find out you’d gotten the biggest broadcasting gig at your alma mater?
John Freeman: It started rather chaotically. I got a call from my predecessor, Dave Koehn, on a Tuesday, and that Saturday I was calling a football game. I grew up in Crozet and listened to the Virginia Sports Radio Network my whole life, and in a four-day span, I would be calling a game on the network at Louisville. It all started with a one-game contract.
You’ve called a lot of sports over the years but not much football. Is it a challenge going to a new sport?
I guess. My career philosophy has been to never say no to anything. I called the Charlottesville Ten Miler one time from the back of a moving vehicle. We were just trying not to fall out. You really do learn broadcasting best when you’re doing it under pressure.
Do you have a favorite sport to call?
I always say my favorite sport to call is the one in front of me. When I’m in football mode, my favorite sport is football. I just love broadcasting. If UVA wanted me to call tiddlywinks, I would enjoy it. As far as football and basketball, they are distinct. Football is a marathon—almost six hours of broadcasting when it’s said and done. And the booth for football is outdoors; if it’s going to be 95 degrees for the first game, that’s a physical toll when you‘re sitting there and talking loudly for five hours. Basketball, you can really lock in and get lost.
But football is a little slower, right?
You’d be surprised. There’s more to describe. If I have downtime, I talk about what song the band is playing, what color the sky is, what the cheerleaders are doing, the smell of grilled hot dogs in the air.
What does being the “voice of the Cavaliers” mean to you?
Growing up here, we would go to games and listen to the broadcast on the way home, so I’ve been listening to the Virginia Sports Radio Network ever since I was kid. I used to call games off friends’ video game systems. I would make little prep boards. Then in high school, I interned with [former “voice of the Cavaliers”] Mac McDonald the second I got my driver’s license. I went to Western Albemarle, and I would get up at 5 in the morning, when Mac hosted the sports report. I would be cutting audio by 6am.
What’s made you successful in this line of work?
I wasn’t born with golden pipes—nor do I have them now—and I’ve always been jealous of people that just have them. I would like to think my voice is palatable enough, but I think it’s meant I’ve had to rely more on vocabulary and pace, description and inflection. I‘ve had to work harder at those things.
Is there another step up for your career after this?
I don’t see anything that would be better than this. I get to call a national championship-caliber basketball team and an FBS football team. I don’t need another rung—I’m not sure if there is another rung. I’m not going to go to the Commanders in the NFL. This job is rewarding, and I’m part of the community. I get to represent a school that my parents went to, and the reward to me personally is so much greater.
What’s the outlook for the football and basketball teams this year?
Man, I’m completely biased. Two national championships and a Heisman Trophy? Honestly, I think for football, there are a lot of unknowns and a lot of knowns. The offense is going to be record-breaking when it comes to our quarterback [Brennan Armstrong]. If they can find themselves 2-0 or 3-0 and get some momentum under Tony Elliott, it could be a surprise season. The basketball team should be much-improved. I see no reason why they shouldn’t make the NCAA tournament. After growing up watching 15 and 15 UVA basketball teams, I’m still in a state of shock that we are now consistently ranked in the top 10.