Syracuse Sun

Noah Eagle is handling play-by-play duties for NBC’s coverage of Team USA men’s and women’s basketball at the Summer Olympics.

The Super Bowl, French Open tennis, primetime college football, and basketball games between nationally ranked opponents are among the events Noah Eagle ’19 has covered in his six-year professional career. Recently, Eagle's efforts were recognized with a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On Air after his debut season calling “Big Ten Saturday Night,” the weekly primetime Big Ten football game broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Eagle’s career trajectory has been rapid—the Los Angeles Clippers hired him immediately after he graduated with a broadcast and digital journalism degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. His next assignment will take him to Paris, France, as the play-by-play broadcaster for Team USA men’s and women’s basketball at the Summer Olympics.

For someone who grew up a "massive" fan of the NBA, broadcasting Team USA games at the Olympics is a "special honor," says Eagle. He will call games involving NBA players he has long admired—like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry—and will be on the mic as the U.S. women’s team pursues their unprecedented eighth consecutive gold medal.

“Basketball has been a passion of mine for a long time, and when I look at this specific assignment, it’s a dream come true. Watching Team USA at the Olympics helped grow my love for the sport, especially the ‘Redeem Team’ in 2008 that brought back the gold medal for the U.S. I remember parking myself on the couch during those Olympics and watching LeBron James play with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd and Carmelo Anthony... Now I’m calling Team USA games with LeBron, K.D., and Steph... There’s something special about calling basketball games while representing your country,” Eagle says.

Sportscasting runs in Noah's family. His father Ian ’90 has handled play-by-play for CBS Sports’ NFL games since 1998 and recently concluded his first year as lead announcer for NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage. His mother Alisa (Terry) Eagle ’90 earned a retailing degree from what is now Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

“When I’m calling games, I’ve always got an orange wristband on my right wrist that shows my Orange connection,” Eagle says. “There’s always so much love to Syracuse University.”

Before heading to Paris for the Olympics, Eagle discussed his career journey with SU News, how he is preparing to call Team USA's basketball games, and lessons learned from his debut performance at the 2021 Olympics.