By Mario Nicastro

James Corrigan is a senior at Fordham University at Rose Hill from Edison, NJ, majoring in political science with a minor in communications. If you turn to 90.7 WFUV on your FM dial any Saturday afternoon this fall, you are likely to hear Fordham Football commentary broadcasting live to the New York City area.

Though Corrigan plays the lead role in broadcasts, he understands the importance of everyone’s job and working alongside his team.

“The staff at WFUV is also what makes the station special,” said Corrigan. “And just like a sports team, we have to work together, make each other better and strive toward a goal.”

Many notable alumni have walked through the WFUV Sports team’s doors. From NBA announcer, Mike Breen, FCRH ’83, to the voice of the Dodgers in Vin Scully, FCRH ’49, the station’s legacy lives on in its graduates. As Corrigan enters his senior year on the biggest stage in Fordham sports broadcasting, I asked him how he felt about the pressure to live up those names and his own goals.

“The pressure for me comes for my desire to be the best. That’s not something that somebody has to tell me. It’s not something that people like Mike Breen, Spero Dedes or Ryan Ruocco have to remind me of, but what I need to do my best.”

WFUV, known for its expansive music programming, is Fordham’s on-campus radio station, an NPR affiliate that features a slew of professional DJs who spin 24 hours a day from Keating’s basement.

Although many of the voices you will hear each week come from the likes of DJs Corny O’Connell or Carmel Holt, it is the spirit and passion from Fordham’s students that give the station its charm. One of those students is senior James Corrigan.

Corrigan works in WFUV’s sports department and, as of this year, is the lead play-by-play announcer for Fordham Football. It was his passion for sports and working with a team that led him to join the station his sophomore year.

“I played three sports in high school and it was sort of a natural transition. I always liked being a part of a team and WFUV has provided me with not just the work experience, but the team environment,” said Corrigan.

Corrigan is entering his third year with the station and has learned a lot about the many intricacies of sports broadcasting, most of which he attributes to Bob Ahrens. ‘Bob,’ as most refer to him at WFUV, retired last year as sports director. It was through his guidance and mentorship that Corrigan really felt like he grasped the ins and outs of radio and storytelling. “The first thing that Bob Ahrens says to you, is describe the room. It’s all about the detail,” said Corrigan.

Corrigan notes that it may sound simple, but as any WFUV Sports trainee can attest, there is so much more to the task. It is easy for people to talk about what they see, but those who know what to do with those details wield a unique power: the ‘word picture.’

“‘Gain of five yards for Edmonds.’ ‘Touchdown Fordham.’ Anybody can just follow the live stats of a game,” said Corrigan. “But it’s the picture you have to paint with your words that makes a radio broadcast special.”

As for prepping for a football broadcast, Corrigan says a lot goes into the process. He will sit down each week to speak with Fordham players and coaches to get their side of the story. Preparation also occurs on the other side of the ball to understand what Fordham’s opponents’ stories are.

“I want people to not only know not what’s going on in the game, but to get to know the players and to get to know their stories,” Corrigan said.