Growing up outside Syracuse, ESPN's Beth Mowins was always involved in sports. A talented athlete, she developed a trait at an early age to call the action for the sports she was playing.
 
It was a natural fit for Mowins. A groundbreaking show on CBS and affirmation of a simple question she asked growing up provided her with the roadmap to a trailblazing broadcasting career.
 
"I remember when Phyllis George was on the NFL Today and I saw for the first time a woman who was talking about football," said Mowins. "That was where I got the idea.
 
"I then asked my mom if I could do that. In her infinite wisdom, she said, 'Yes, you can.' That was all I needed."
 
Thirty years later, on a December night across the country in Phoenix, Mowins entered Chase Field after weeks of pouring over depth charts, statistics and feature stories.
 
Standing in a temporary booth down the third-base line, Mowins became the first female play-by-play announcer in Guaranteed Rate Bowl history. She has served that role in the last three years at the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, first for ESPN Radio and the last two seasons for the national ESPN television broadcast.
 
It was the latest in a line of "firsts" for Mowins, who in 2017 became the first woman to call an NFL game in a nationally-televised broadcast, calling the action for ESPN's Monday Night Football and CBS Sports.
 
Monday Night Football has a lore of its own and the CBS broadcast had special meaning since it was where George made history more than 40 years earlier, with Mowins watching on her television set in Upstate New York.
 
"It was amazing. I went to Indianapolis for that game where it was a full-circle moment having grown up watching the NFL Today show in the 70s," said Mowins. "There were moms and dads at the game with their daughters. They turned around and peeked up into the booth, pointing and taking pictures. To know you have that kind of impact on young women, the way that Phyllis did on me, made it a special day."
 
Mowins, a three-sport athlete excelling in basketball, soccer and softball in high school, was a 1989 graduate of Lafayette College where she earned her degree in English and had an outstanding four-year career on the basketball court. She was a two-time captain and remains the school's all-time assists leader for a season and a career.
 
Following Lafayette, she earned a master's degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University's renowned Newhouse School of Public Communications.
 
Remaining close to home, Mowins launched her career at WXHC-FM radio, a local station in Homer, NY, where she served as news and sports director.
 
"I was the play-by-play voice for everything we were doing, including wrestling on the radio," recalled Mowins. "You can learn a lot about your craft when you do that. It was a great proving ground to get repetition."
 
When not on the local airwaves, Mowins expanded her network by traveling on the weekends to call games for the women's teams at Syracuse University. This led to an opportunity to call games on the Big East Network.
 
"You start to meet people who are going to continue with you over the course of your career," said Mowins. "It all started there on local radio and grew into bigger and better opportunities."
Mowins' big break occurred in 1994 when she joined ESPN. Her initial focus was women's sports that included basketball, soccer, volleyball and softball.
 
She vividly remembers the early coverage of the Women's College World Series. It consisted of a small crew, half a production truck and the championship game broadcast on taped delay. Thirty years later the production value increased 20-fold.
 
As the lead softball play-by-play voice for more than 20 years now, Mowins understands her impact on the sport, which has seen a rise in popularity over the years. Last spring's Women's College World Series title game had a peak audience of 2.3 million viewers, a seven percent increase from 2022.
 
"It has been a real privilege," said Mowins. "I think that it will be a big part of my legacy as a sportscaster. It has always been special to be able to put a voice and, with our amazing crew, put the pictures together as these student-athletes pursue a championship and live out their dreams."
 
While she is best known for calling the action of live sports to passionate fans in football, softball, basketball – Mowins and Doris Burke formed the NBA's first-ever national broadcast with an all-female broadcast crew in 2022 – Mowins' accomplishments stretch beyond the sports arena.
 
Her sports accomplishments caught the eye of fellow Newhouse School graduates, who approached her for a unique, first-time opportunity.
 
How would she like to provide play-by-play commentary for the Spin the Wheel segment on the iconic Price is Right, which had never been done before?
 
It was another experience that brought back childhood memories.
 
"I remember growing up when you were sick and stayed home from school, you would have chicken soup and saltines watching the Price is Right under a blanket on the couch hoping you felt better the next day," Mowins said. "I found out ahead of time it was a (college) rivalry themed show, I had the most fun developing new vocabulary on how to call play by play for spinning the wheel."
 
Being a top-level sports broadcaster means you are always in the public eye, receiving accolades or subject to comments that are not as glowing.
 
When those instances occur and her skills questioned, Mowins has the perfect response.
 
"I politely say, I appreciate your opinion, but my mom said that I could, so I am going to keep going with this."