As a sophomore at Pitt, I met Dave Revsine and if anyone told me that we would be colleagues 20 years later I would have signed up for it. Today, that is our reality at the Big Ten Network.
As a host, Dave has always been impressive. Sharp questions, elite awareness and always seeking humanity. This week on Y-Option, presented by 76 keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat, welcomed Dave Revsine so get to know the story behind one of the core voices of Big Ten Network.
For Dave, it all began in Chicago. A kid turning down the TV volume, writing out the White Sox lineup, and calling the games into a tape recorder. It detoured through a year on Wall Street (his most miserable), then on to Texas, where he ran his own camera to cover the Cowboys of Aikman, Irvin, and Smith. Eventually, ESPN came calling. Then, in 2007, the Big Ten Network.
On launch night, BTN handed Dave 45 seconds of live airtime. No one edited his script. No one vetted his words. They just trusted him. Two days later, BTN aired Appalachian State’s upset over Michigan—and the network made history.
In our conversation, Dave reflects on expansion, coast-to-coast Big Ten football, and what he trusts most as we head into Week 6. His answers are simple and powerful: Ohio State’s defense, Oregon’s completeness, Indiana’s rise.
But what struck me most wasn’t the analysis, it is the lens in which Dave sees the world of sports media. After decades in this business, Dave still lives with wonder. He hasn’t lost the gratitude for doing what he once dreamt about as a kid with a tape recorder. He hasn’t lost the kindness he was shown as a small-market reporter trying to cover the Cowboys.
That’s why this episode feels bigger than Week 6 in the Big Ten. It’s about trust, preparation, and joy. Hope you enjoy.
I’m off to Purdue for the first time to call a game on campus.
Much love and stay steady,
Yogi
