Get To Know The Voice Of The Mustangs: Chris Sylvester
5/22/2024 12:06:00 PM | General
If you have ever watched a Cal Poly sporting event on ESPN+, you have likely heard the voice of the Mustangs, Chris Sylvester. For the last eight years, Chris has served as a play-by-play commentator for Cal Poly with ESPN+ and ESPN Radio. The 27-year-old commentator covers football, men's and women's basketball and baseball.
However, his path to Cal Poly is a path that includes a challenge that opened up an opportunity.
Attending Cypress Community College in Orange County, 18-year-old Chris Sylvester decided he would no longer pursue a bachelor's degree. Amid this decision, Sylvster knew that finding a job in play-by-play would be even more difficult without a college degree. 
However, he motivated himself through a do-or-die mentality. In other words, if he were unsuccessful in finding work as a broadcaster, he would have to return to the place he dreaded: school.
While he was attending Cypress, Chris emailed almost every Division I program, seeking openings for play-by-play commentating. Sylvester did not hear back from most of the programs. Cal Poly was one of the only programs that responded.
Chris's journey of becoming a play-by-play commentator began in his youth. At the age of 11, he would mute the TV and give play-by-play commentary over games. The next six years, this practice came in handy, preparing him for when he would eventually do his first play-by-play over a live broadcast.
That day arrived for Sylvester in his junior year of high school. On October 19, 2012, Chris made his broadcasting debut in a football game between St. John Bosco High School and Mater Dei.
"The opening kickoff got returned for a touchdown", Sylvester said. "I was kinda baptized by fire right away in play-by-play."
At that moment, Sylvester decided that play-by-play commentary was a field he wanted to pursue professionally.
Graduating from St. John Bosco in 2014, Sylvester stuck around southern California. He would continue covering high school games
"I would go wherever the gig was", Sylvester said. "I would do a bunch of games for free, a bunch for pocket change, and that is how I got my start".
After emailing almost every Division I program, Cal Poly was just one of two programs that showed interest in the 18-year-old.
In 2015, the 18-year-old drove up to San Luis Obispo for the first time to attend a football spring game. After meeting with some people, a plan was put into place for Sylvester to host a pregame and postgame show for every Cal Poly home game.
The only caveat was Sylvester would have to drive roughly three-and-a-half hours to San Luis Obispo with only his meals being covered for the day.
However, the sacrifice of commuting from Orange County to San Luis Obispo ultimately paid off for the aspiring commentator.
In 2016, the lead play-by-play commentator for Cal Poly had resigned. That is when Sylvester slid into the role of lead play-play announcer for Cal Poly
In his debut season, Chris did play-by-play for ESPN Radio 1280 AM, the local radio station that broadcasts Cal Poly games. . He covered Cal Poly football, men's basketball, and baseball.
Sylvester continued covering the three sports in his second year on the job.
Even after being hired full-time, one thing remained constant for Sylvester from 2015 to 2017; he was still commuting to Cal Poly from southern California.
"Sometimes I would go back and forth twice a week", said Sylvester. "I would crash on couches, try and find a cheap $40 hotel, just to make the job possible".
Despite the long commute, Sylvester cited his passion for his job as the sole reason he was able to get through the long commutes.
"The so-called 'high' of calling a game was second to none", Sylvester said. "That ambition and passion is what fueled me during my first two years at Cal Poly.
Despite being able to continue to pursue a career in play-by-play without a college degree, Sylvester advises young aspiring to avoid his unique path.
Since then, Sylvester has continued doing play-by-play for football, men's basketball, baseball, and now women's basketball. After ESPN+ came into play, Sylvester did the majority of his work for the TV network rather than the radio.
While working with Cal Poly, Sylvester has worked as a play-by-play commentator in several organizations which include CBS Sports Network, ESPN, and FS1.
"I always had an ambition to become a major league baseball player…I always knew I wanted to work in sports. But I didn't know if I wanted to get into sports medicine, sports psychlogy…what did i want to do in sports. And it was broadcasting".
Story by Ammar Khan, Cal Poly Athletic Communications Intern
