The distinguished play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ACC Network will address Elon University’s Class of 2025 when he visits his alma mater in May for undergraduate ceremonies inside Schar Center.
An accomplished sports broadcaster with a family legacy in the NCAA’s Atlantic Coast Conference will share stories and wisdom when he returns to his alma mater in May to deliver a Commencement address to Elon University’s Class of 2025.
Wes Durham ’88, a play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ACC Network, will address graduates in two ceremonies inside Elon University’s Schar Center on May 23, 2025.
Recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award in the School of Communications, Durham’s influence in sports broadcasting extends beyond his role with ESPN, having served as the radio play-by-play voice for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons since 2004.
“Wes Durham has built a national reputation for trust and accuracy at a time of profound transformation in sports and media,” said Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book. “With a literal courtside seat to many of the most memorable moments in American sports history, I can think of no better person to share stories of the way teamwork and competition can inspire others in their own pursuits of excellence.”
Durham described Book’s invitation to deliver the Commencement address to Elon University’s Class of 2025 as “a humbling honor.”
“I’m so proud to be an Elon graduate and excited to be part of this special time for the university,” he said. “My hope is that my remarks will be a suitable companion piece to what is such a special day for not only the graduates, but also their family and friends.
“Your life changes after you’re awarded that degree when you are empowered to impact yourself, your family and your world.”
Your life changes after you’re awarded that degree when you are empowered to impact yourself, your family and your world.
– Wes Durham ’88
One of the original hires when ACC Network launched in 2019, Durham previously co-hosted the Packer and Durham morning show alongside Mark Packer – a program they started in 2018 as ACC This Morning on SiriusXM ACC Radio. After three years on ACCN, Durham shifted to a play-by-play-centric role for the network.
In 2023, Durham was named the play-by-play voice for ACC Primetime Football, where he calls weekly high-profile ACC games with Tom Luginbill and Dana Boyle. During the men’s college basketball season, Durham is also one of the network’s lead game-callers.
Durham’s name has been synonymous with the ACC for years. He was the radio voice for Georgia Tech from 1995-2013 before joining Fox Sports South/Raycom Sports to handle play-by-play duties for ACC football, basketball and baseball games.
Durham’s family also has a special history in the conference. His father, Woody, was UNC’s legendary “Voice of the Tar Heels” for 40 years. On Elon’s campus, his brother, Taylor Durham ’96, has been the longtime “Voice of the Phoenix” for athletic events.
Since 2020, Durham has contributed to ESPN’s coverage of the PGA Championship as a play-by-play commentator on Featured Group streams on ESPN+ And In addition to working in the ACC, Durham had stints early in his career as the radio announcer of athletic teams at Marshall, Radford and Vanderbilt.
A native of Cary, N.C., Durham graduated from Elon with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Durham learned about broadcasting while working at Elon’s WSOE student radio, where he called 150 football and basketball games in four years as an undergraduate.
Durham was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. An 11-time winner of the Georgia Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA), Durham is a longtime member of the NSMA board and in 2022 he became president of the board.
About Elon University
Elon University is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.
At Elon, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. Elon is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.
Elon’s academic divisions include Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.