What is it like to travel the road not taken? If there’s anyone qualified to answer that question, it’s probably Lisa Byington. It has been a long road from broadcasting for local channels in Michigan to calling play-by-plays in the Olympics, NBA, and March Madness. You could probably introduce her as the first woman broadcaster to call play-by-plays full-time for these tournaments, but, in her words, “We need a first to have a second, to have a third, to have a fourth, to lose the headlines and not think about it again.” But if we take a look at all she has accomplished and the work she has put in, her resume starts to look even more impressive!

Who is Lisa Byington?

First things first, Lisa Byington is an athlete at heart. Born on May 18, 1976, she is a native of Portage, Michigan. She grew up with hoop dreams and was a two-sport athlete at Northwestern University, where she played four years of basketball and two years of soccer. But in terms of broadcasting, she started from scratch.

Her first few gigs were in Michigan, which is one of the smallest television markets in the US, and Byington spent a decade covering high school sports, college athletics, and Detroit professional teams in Lansing, Michigan. Now? Lisa Byington is at the top of the pecking order. The broadcaster was the first woman to call a Big Ten Network college football game in 2017, and was the first woman to do play-by-play in March Madness with CBS Sports and Turner in 2021. She even had a ‘The First’ NBA tag by her name.

In 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks named Lisa Byington as their television play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Wisconsin, making her the first woman to hold a full-time TV play-by-play position for a major men’s professional sports team. To her credit, Byington has also covered soccer in the 2020 Olympics and the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

What is Lisa Byington’s relationship status?

While we know everyone is curious, it seems like Lisa Byington doesn’t want people prying into her personal life. The trailblazing commentator and broadcaster is adept at keeping boundaries between the personal and professional world, so there is no information available about her relationship status or marital/romantic life!

Is Lisa Byington active on social media?

When you are in the media, the social world is your home. The multi-sport broadcaster keeps a prominent social media presence on multiple platforms. She’s active on X at @LisaByington, where she shares broadcasting updates, speaking events, and interacts within the NBA, WNBA, and collegiate sports communities. Not to mention, Byington is big on IG too! She has 9k+ followers* on the platform and loves posting stories and sharing her personal accomplishments and life updates.

What are Lisa Byington’s career highlights?

Considering that there’s an award named after her, you tell me! Lisa Byington is a legend in the broadcasting community, and especially in Michigan sports. And of course, the reason that she’s respected is because of her increasingly impressive accomplishments! We’ve already touched upon some of them, but here’s a recap of Byington’s career highlights.

• The first, and biggest, achievement to note is that Byington was the first woman to take a full-time play-by-play broadcasting role in a major US men’s pro league.
• She has been working with the Bucks since 2021, but that’s just the beginning of a very long list. The multi-sport broadcaster is also covering Chicago Sky games as a play-by-play announcer, covering the sister-league as well.
• Aside from her professional basketball exploits, Lisa Byington has also been a frequent presence in NCAA Tournament coverage for the last few years in both sideline and play-by-play roles.
• On top of this, she has covered the Olympics and the Women’s Soccer World Cup as well.

Lisa Byington is also a recognised speaker and honoree. In April 2025, she delivered a speech at the Axthelm Lecture in Marquette. “My dream is that a female voice on a men’s game becomes so normal, it’s background noise,” Byington said, driving a powerful point about women’s representation in broadcasting, and using her industry stature and leadership to stand up for what’s right!

What is Lisa Byington’s background?

Byington’s career started with hoop dreams. And honestly? She was obsessed! “In the winter, sometimes [in Michigan] when it was too cold or my parents hadn’t shoveled the driveway, I would blow up a balloon and have that be my basketball.” Byington said to NBA.com, reminiscing about where she started. Her hard work and her dedication paid off, as she went to Northwestern University as a multi-sport athlete. Playing soccer and basketball, Lisa Byington reached the NCAA Tournament in both sports!

After graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism, it took a while for Byington to establish her presence in the industry. In fact, her first job was at WBKB-TV in Alpena, Michigan, where she earned just $14,000 annually. “I thought it was really doing well. I was living the large life then. But I love it.” She moved on to a bigger opportunity at WLNS-TV, where she stayed for an entire decade covering local sports.

The journey has been long for Lisa Byington, but her effort has borne results. She climbed the ladder fair and square and is now looking to consolidate an even bigger presence in her field. There’s no doubt that the Bucks play-by-play broadcaster is a legend, and we can’t wait to see what she does next!