Rick Allen (sportscaster)

Last updated
Rick Allen
Born
Rick Allen Schwieger

(1969-06-17) June 17, 1969 (age 56)
Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S.
Years active2002–present
Sports commentary career
Genre Play-by-play
Sport(s) NASCAR, College football, college basketball, Track and field
Employer FOX (2003–2014)
NBC (2014–2024)
The CW (2024–present)
Carolina Panthers (2025–present)

Rick Allen Schwieger [1] (born June 17, 1969) is an American television personality and play-by-play announcer. [2] [3] He currently works for the Carolina Panthers as a public address system announcer, CW Sports as a college football play-by-play announcer as well as an alternate TV play-by-play for the CARS Tour. He is best-known for having been the lead play-by-play commentator for NASCAR on NBC on their NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series coverage from 2015 to 2024. [4] He also appeared on a select IndyCar and International Motor Sports Association and track & field events when he worked for NBC Sports. He previously did play-by-play broadcasting for NASCAR on Speed and Fox for the NASCAR Truck Series from 2003 to 2014. [5]

Biography

Allen was the second of two siblings. Allen grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, and was a walk on for the Nebraska Cornhuskers track and field team, where he was a letter winner all four seasons, a three-time All-American in the sport, winning two Big Eight Conference decathlon titles (1991–92). [6] [7] [8] He received his bachelor's degree of communications from the university. After graduation, he worked as a public address announcer for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln athletic department, and later at local dirt oval racetracks including Eagle Raceway, where Fox Sports found him. [6]

From 2003 to mid-2014, Allen worked for Fox Sports, where his main duty was calling the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series on SPEED and later Fox Sports 1. He occasionally covered Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) events. [6] [7] [9] [10]

On December 4, 2013, it was announced that Allen would become the lead announcer for NASCAR on NBC for the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series starting in 2015. [11]

During the Truck Series Eldora race on July 23, 2014, Allen announced that it would be his last race at Fox Sports, as he was now bound only to NBC. [12]

It was announced in 2016 that Allen would be joining the IndyCar Series on NBC broadcast team for select Verizon IndyCar Series events beginning at Phoenix in 2016, filling in for regular IndyCar play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey because Diffey worked with NBC's Formula One coverage. [13]

In 2024, NBC Sports announced that Allen would be replaced by Diffey as NASCAR Cup Series play-by-play announcer, but would remain on Xfinity Series telecasts for the rest of the year, which moved to The CW ahead of the network's full-season TV coverage of the series beginning in 2025. [14] [15] The reason for the sudden change was unknown at the time, though Allen claimed months later that NBC had told him prior to the season that he would only do the opening set of NBC's scheduled races before moving Diffey into the booth, and was told not to say anything about it. [16]

On June 11, 2025, it was announced that Allen would be in the CARS Tour broadcast booth for FloRacing. [17] On August 8, 2025, Allen announced in a tweet that he got a job with the Carolina Panthers and would work as their Entertainment PA system announcer for the 2025 season, staying in the Charlotte metropolitan area where most of the NASCAR industry is based. [18] On August 27, 2025, Adam Stern from Sports Business Journal tweeted that Allen would be returning to The CW as a fill-in play-by-play announcer for college football games in 2025. [19]

References

  1. ↑ "NBC's Rick Allen Doesn't Use His Real Last Name Because of Advice from a Legend". Barrett Sports Media. July 8, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  2. ↑ "NBC Sports adds Rick Allen to NASCAR booth". 4 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Auto Racing Hot Topics: NBC hires Rick Allen for NASCAR play-by-play; Can Formula 1 and NASCAR coexist on same day in Texas?". 5 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Leigh Diffey named NBC Sports' NASCAR Cup Series lead play-by-play commentator". NBC Sports. 2024-08-20. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  5. ↑ "Rick Allen • Television Personality & Voice Over Talent". 2013-12-13. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  6. 1 2 3 Grell, Clarck (July 4, 2015). "Nebraska's Rick Allen begins his dream job calling Sprint Cup races for NBC". Lincoln Journal Star . Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 Hambleton, Ken (February 16, 2014). "Former Husker takes on NASCAR announcing challenge". Lincoln Journal Star . Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Ebersole, Amanda (September 2011). "Rick Allen: The Voice of NASCAR". Skirts and Scuffs. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Daytona 500 on Fox Broadcast Guide" (PDF). Fox NASCAR. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Rick Allen Television Personality & Voice Over Talent". 2013-10-24. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  11. ↑ "NBC tabs Rick Allen as lead race announcer". NASCAR . December 4, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ Hyatt, Ryan (July 24, 2014). "Five things to ponder after NASCAR took to the dirt at Eldora". motorsport.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  13. ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (March 28, 2016). "Allen Fulfilling Lifelong Dream to Call Verizon IndyCar Series Race". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  14. ↑ "LEIGH DIFFEY NAMED NBC SPORTS' NASCAR CUP SERIES LEAD PLAY-BY-PLAY COMMENTATOR". NBCSports.com. NBC Universal. August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  15. ↑ Engle, Greg (August 11, 2024). "NASCAR Confirms Xfinity Series Moving To CW Earlier Than Planned". Forbes . Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  16. ↑ DeGroot, Nick (April 24, 2025). "Rick Allen opens up to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on "crushing" exit from NBC". Motorsport.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  17. ↑ Blount, Rob (June 11, 2025). "Longtime NASCAR Announcer Rick Allen Set To Join CARS Tour Broadcast". FloRacing . Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  18. ↑ "(Twitter post)". Twitter . Rick Allen. August 8, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025. Let's go!! Starting my new role as entertainment PA announcer for @Panthers football games!
  19. ↑ "NASCAR Broadcaster Rick Allen Lands College Football Play-by-Play Role on the CW". Pro Football Network . August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
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