Rob Stone

Soccer Commentator

Rob Stone joined ESPN in June 1997 as the host of ESPN2’s Worldwide Soccer, a weekly news and highlights show which debuted June 7, 1997. Stone also served as host of MLS Extra Time, Major League Soccer’s (MLS) first one-hour, in-season Monday night program which debuted in 2000 on ESPN2.

Since 1998, Stone has served as a sideline reporter for select MLS and U.S. Soccer telecasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. He hosted MLS Cup half-time shows in 1998 and 1999. Beginning in 2004, Stone became the primary play-by-play commentator for ESPN2’s MLS telecasts and U.S. Men’s National Team games.

During World Cup ’98 in France, Stone traveled the country and filed daily reports on the offbeat and behind the scenes sites of the world’s most popular sporting event for ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. He also provided reports and features from France ’98 for World Cup 2Night, a daily recap of the day’s activities at the tournament. In Korea/Japan 02, Stone served as host of World Cup 2Night on ESPN2 and during the pre-, halftime and post-game segments.

Stone came to ESPN from WTOG-TV in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla., where he served as weekend sports anchor and sports reporter from 1995 to 1997. In addition, he reported for the Tony Dungy Show (Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach) and the Sam Wyche Report (former Bucs coach), and was chief reporter for the Bucs’ Countdown to Kickoff pregame show.

During the 1996 and ’97 MLS seasons, Stone also was an analyst for Tampa Bay Mutiny matches on SportsChannel Florida.

Stone began his television career at ESPN as a production assistant from 1992 to 1993. He worked on SportsCenter, Outside The Lines and College GameDay. From ESPN, Stone went to WFXL-TV in Albany, Ga. as a weekend sports anchor/sports reporter (1993-94) and sports director (1994-95).

The Simsbury, Conn. native is a 1991 Colgate graduate with a degree in English. He was an all-state and all-conference soccer performer as a midfield player for the Red Raiders, and captained the squad his senior year.