FSU Football Announces Big Change to Stadium Experience for 2026 Season

Florida State has found its new voice for football games inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

The university announced Monday that former Seminoles offensive lineman and longtime FSU baseball broadcaster Eric Luallen will become the stadium’s public address announcer beginning with the 2026 season.

Eric Luallen Adds Football Role to Broadcasting Career

Sep 14, 2013; Tallahassee, FL, USA; A view of Florida State Seminoles gloves before the start of the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Luallen already has deep connections to the university as a former FSU football player and the radio play-by-play voice for Seminoles baseball.

Nearly 40 years after arriving in Tallahassee to play for legendary head coach Bobby Bowden, he will return to Doak Campbell Stadium in a new role.

“I am incredibly humbled to be given this opportunity, in this stadium, almost 40 years to the day after I reported for my first practice under Coach Bowden,” Luallen said. “I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have the honor to serve my alma mater through my 20 seasons as the radio voice of FSU baseball and now also this opportunity with Florida State football.”

The 🆕 voice of Doak Campbell Stadium

Former FSU OL and current FSU baseball broadcaster @EricLuallen will call his first game as PA at Doak on Aug 29

🔗 https://t.co/1N0gDnlXht #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/MDhtAOYG4F
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) August 10, 2026

Luallen was an offensive lineman under legendary Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden and was part of the program’s rise to national powerhouse status in the late 1980s.

Luallen Replaces Longtime Voice of Doak Campbell Stadium

Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles mascot Chief Osceola and Renegade take the field before the game in the 2023 Orange Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Luallen replaces Woody Hayes, whose familiar voice had been part of Florida State’s home football games since 2010.

Florida State has not publicly explained why it dismissed Hayes after his lengthy tenure. Hayes told WCTV in July that he was blindsided by the decision and received little explanation beyond being told the university was “going in a new direction.”

Hayes became particularly known for allowing the crowd to finish his elongated “That’s good for another Florida State first down” call.

Luallen will make his debut when Florida State opens the 2026 season against New Mexico State on Aug. 29.

The former Seminole began calling Florida State baseball games in 2007 and has handled 984 contests, including six College World Series appearances and four ACC Tournament championships. He also contributed to FSU football pregame coverage and hosted GameDay Live inside Doak Campbell Stadium last season.

The announcement gives the Seminoles a familiar replacement, but one of the program’s most recognizable game-day traditions will sound different inside Doak Campbell Stadium this fall.

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