Pasch Joins ESPN Exclusively
Dave Pasch Departs Cardinals After 24 Seasons for Expanded, Exclusive ESPN Role
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Key Points
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Pasch signed an exclusive multi-year contract with ESPN, which will see him leave the Cardinals after 24 seasons to join ESPN’s NFL coverage on the national stage.
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Pasch has been with ESPN since 2003 and will continue to handle ESPN’s NBA play-by-play while expanding to NFL and college football/basketball under his new role.
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Pasch emphasized lifelong friendships with Cardinals broadcast teammates including Jim Omohundro, Ron Wolfley, AQ Shipley and Paul Calvisi as part of his departure experience.
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Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill publicly thanked Pasch, describing him as 'more than just a voice' in the broadcast booth after 24 years.
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Pasch recalled his nerve during his 2002 debut with the Cardinals, joking that he swallowed a bug in his first regular-season game as part of his long tenure.
Dave Pasch is leaving the Arizona Cardinals after 24 seasons as the team's radio play-by-play voice, signing an exclusive multi-year deal with ESPN to take on a broader national role that includes NFL coverage. The Cardinals and ESPN made the joint announcement on June 25, 2026, ending the longest-tenured broadcast run in franchise history. ESPN PR confirmed that Pasch's new duties will expand beyond his existing college basketball and NBA work.
Pasch, who first called a Cardinals game in August 2002 at age 29, described the move as the end of "almost half my life" with the team. The Cardinals will now search for a new radio voice ahead of the 2026 season, 12News Phoenix reported.
An Exclusive ESPN Deal Pulls Pasch to the National Stage
ESPN signed Pasch to an exclusive contract, meaning he can no longer take local or regional assignments. His new role adds NFL play-by-play to the college football, college basketball, and NBA work he has done for the network since 2003. Awful Announcing noted Pasch is expected to lead broadcasts for roughly seven games, including ESPN's expanded international slate. Mike McQuade, ESPN's EVP of Sports Production, said Pasch has spent "more than two decades" carrying "the weight of the moment" and that adding the NFL is "a natural next step."
Industry analysts believe Pasch is being groomed for ESPN's No. 2 NFL play-by-play spot, a role that had often fallen to Chris Fowler, whose college football duties created scheduling conflicts, according to Sports Media Watch. The new deal is also designed to ease Pasch's notoriously packed schedule, which once had him calling an NBA game on Friday, a college football game on Saturday, and an NFL game on Sunday.
24 Seasons, One Bug, and a Franchise's Signature Voice
Pasch debuted as the Cardinals' radio voice in a regular-season game against Washington in August 2002. In his farewell remarks, he recalled swallowing a bug while trying to call a play during that first game — a lighthearted memory that captured his early nerves. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said Pasch was "always much more than just a voice" and that the organization is "thrilled" for him as he begins his next chapter, per AZCardinals.com.
Pasch cited lifelong friendships as the emotional core of his departure. He specifically named broadcast teammates Jim Omohundro, Ron Wolfley, A.Q. Shipley, and Paul Calvisi in his farewell statement, shared via Sports Illustrated. Fans on Reddit's r/AZCardinals called Pasch "the only constant" through decades of roster and coaching turnover in Phoenix.
Cardinals Booth Has Seen Major Changes in Just 18 Months
Pasch's exit is the second major booth departure in a short span. Longtime color analyst Ron Wolfley retired in February 2025 after 20 seasons alongside Pasch, per Awful Announcing. The Cardinals replaced him with former NFL center A.Q. Shipley on July 28, 2025. Shipley, known for his work on The Pat McAfee Show, was brought in to modernize the broadcast. Sources told Sports Illustrated the team viewed the 2025 season as a "transition year."
Some analysts now describe the Cardinals' booth as being in "unprecedented instability," with both its lead voices departing within 18 months. The team is expected to release a shortlist of replacements by late July 2026. Names like Mike Monaco and Bob Wischusen have been floated as candidates, according to Sports Media Watch.
Sorsby NFL Blockade Adds Another Layer to Cardinals News Cycle
Running alongside the Pasch story is a separate development involving quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The NFL will not hold a supplemental draft in 2026, blocking Sorsby's path to the league after he was ruled ineligible for the regular draft. NBC Sports reported that Sorsby, formerly of Cincinnati, placed $90,000 in bets — including 40 wagers on Indiana football games while he was a team member — leading to his NCAA eligibility loss.
Sorsby's attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, argues the NFL's refusal to hold a supplemental draft violates the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement. If no deal is reached, Sorsby cannot enter the NFL until the 2027 Draft, a delay that analysts warn could effectively end his professional prospects, per Fox 4.
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